Ian Thorpe comes out of the closet

Ian Thorpe came out of the closet in his interview with Sir Michael Parkinson, which aired last night in Australia. This announcement follows years of denials, which began when his career as an Olympic swimmer first catapulted him into the spotlight at age 15.

Thorpe first discussed the severe battles with depression that oft accompany staying closeted and in denial. This denial continued in Thorpe’s autobiography where he says, “The thing that I find hurtful about it is that people are questioning my integrity and what I say. That’s the only part I find hurtful, that this is something I would be embarrassed about and that I would hide.”

Thorpe admitted that he had a “big lie” in his life, and that releasing the lie would be cathartic.

Thorpe is retired from swimming at the Olympic level, having a failed comeback in 2012. That’s alright though: he remains Australia’s most decorated Olympic athlete in history.