Olympic figure skater Eric Radford comes out as gay

Canadian Olympic figure skater Eric Radford has come out as gay.

Radford, who won a silver medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, is the first elite figure skater to come out at the height of his professional career.

In an interview with Out, the Olympian explained that he was unsure about whether to come out because he didn’t want to be known as “the gay athlete.”

“My concern was that I would be known as ‘the gay athlete’ if I came out at the Olympics, rather than ‘Eric the medalling figure skater who happens to be gay,’ he explained. “And I felt uncomfortable with that title.”

Radford went on to argue that his sexual orientation could actually help him win more medals, saying: “A lot of pairs end up dating one another. It can become risky because your on-ice training can be affected by your off-ice relationship.”

“If you have a fight at home, it makes that training difficult. I used to joke around that I’m the ultimate pair-boy. I never had to worry about developing an off-ice relationship,” he added.

Meanwhile, hot Australian rugby player Simon Dunn recently became the first out gay man to represent the country in bobsledding – find out more here.

More Stories:
Gay swimmer Martin Cremin: ‘Sexuality was never an issue’
Ian Thorpe: ‘I’m ashamed I didn’t come out earlier’