Ian Thorpe hid his sexuality because he didn’t want any “distractions”

Olympic champion Ian Thorpe has admitted that he kept his sexuality a secret during competition because he did not want it to “distract” him.

The 41-year-old revealed that he initially denied his homosexuality because he wanted to concentrate on his sports career in the early 2000s.

“I had to swim and win at the Olympics,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “I didn’t want anything to distract me. I didn’t want people talking about it,” he said.

“Any time it’s suggested that you might be gay, you think it’s a negative thing, and as a young person you make it bigger than it needs to be. So I answered no.”

He went on to say that he now believes it is important to be open about one’s sexuality.

“I can say I’m gay without any qualms. And I don’t want people to feel the way I do. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay,” he noted.

The five-time Olympic champion came out as gay in an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson in July 2014.

“I had spent some time with (Sir Michael Parkinson) before the interview and I said to him, ‘You should ask me if I’m gay because I’m going to tell you.’ I had to say it. It was the first time I felt comfortable enough to come out. It was important for me to be my authentic self,” he explained.