HomoQuotable - Matthew Mitcham

"The way they are persecuting people in Russia is quite horrific. The Olympics is the best experience you will ever have as an athlete. Their whole memory and experience is going to be marred by this stuff. They are going to be made to feel unacceptable, inappropriate, and it is a really awful, awful feeling. The Olympics are supposed to be somewhere where they can go to be relieved of that feeling. A place where you can compete and feel that gender and sexuality is not an issue."- Australian Olympic diving gold medalist Matthew Mitcham, speaking to the Telegraph.

Tweet Of The Day - Matthew Mitcham

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14 Openly Gay Olympic Athletes

Buzzfeed has published a photo essay featuring the 14 openly gay athletes that are competing at the London Olympics. Above is the most well-known, Australia's 2008 gold medalist diving champion Matthew Mitcham.

Nine Seconds With Matthew Mitcham

Photo Of The Day - Matthew Mitcham

Australian Olympic gold medalist diver Matthew Mitcham dressed as an abs-tastic unicorn for a local Lady Gaga concert. The Advocate reports that he was too shy to use his name to try and get backstage to meet her, even though winning the gold and meeting Gaga have been his "only two wishes in life." That outfit doesn't really scream "shy" does it?

Gold Medal Finally Paying Off For Australian Diver Matthew Mitcham

Openly gay Australian Olympic diving gold medalist Matthew Mitcham has finally landed his first big endorsement deal.

While it's not in Stephanie Rice's league, Mitcham's year-long contract with Telstra is a "relief'' for the diver, who has stuggled to attract corporate interest, despite his final dive receiving the highest single-dive score in Olympic history. He blames the current economic crisis, rather than his sexuality, for the sponsorship drought, but is grateful that Telstra has backed him: "Hopefully, this will have a snowball effect. If I can get the opportunity where I would be able to train without having to worry about paying the bills, that would be the ultimate goal.'' Mitcham said without it, it would be hard to train for the London Games.

Telstra is Australia's largest phone service provider.

Golden Gay: Matthew Mitcham, Australia's Out Olympic Diver Wins Gold

In what is being hailed as one of the most tremendous upsets of the Beijing Olympics, openly gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham won a gold medal today after his string of perfect 10's recorded the highest scoring dive in Olympic history.

Mitcham's pulled off a stunning final dive in the 10 metre platform, scoring an incredible four perfect 10s, to steal the gold off favourite Chinese diver Luxin Zhou. Mitcham finished with 537.95 points. It was a massive upset defeating the premiere and form Chinese divers Liang Huo and Luxin Zhou in front fierce home crowd.

Mitcham, 20, battled depression, retired in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then just nine months later resumed his sport in 2007. Last night his triumphant return to the sport was crowned with gold. His coach Chava Sobrino, who encouraged Mitcham back into the sport, elatedly embraced diver and Mitcham broke down in tears.

It was late 2006 that Mitcham lost passion for diving and suffering depression he quit. During his hiatus from the sport last year to make money he plunged from a tower 14 metres high into a pool of water for crowds at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. That job reignited his passion for the sport.

One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous and now brilliant journey is his partner, Lachlan, he was in the crowd last night courtesy of a Johnson & Johnson Olympic sponsorship. Mitcham is one of only a few "out" gay athletes in Beijing and the first Australian to openly declare his homosexuality going into an Olympics.

Mitcham, age 20, is now expected to be a star of Australia's 2012 team in London.UPDATE: Here's a clip of Mitcham being interviewed with his mother after his win as his boyfriend stands next him. Very nice to see the two boys hugging each other in front of the international sports press.

Aussie Olympian Comes Out

Australian diver Matthew Mitcham, 20, has come out in advance of competing in the Beijing Olympics.

Like many athletes around the world, Australian Matthew Mitcham fought his way to the top of his sport to qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games. Unlike many of his Olympic counterparts however, the diver must fight to bring his life partner with him to the Games.

Mitcham, 20, came out in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald this Sunday. Now, he will compete on the 10-metre platform, diving for the gold as Australia’s only openly gay Olympic athlete.

What Mitcham would like more than anything else is for his longtime partner, Lachlan, who fought the tumultuous battle of Olympic dreams with Mitcham, to be there in the stands cheering him on. The young diver and his partner currently do not have the funds to get Lachlan to Beijing, but Mitcham tells the SMH that Johnson & Johnson offers an Athlete Support Programme that would allow for friends and family of those competing to travel to the competition.

Could we have another Greg Louganis here?