Rio Olympics hopeful and water polo player comes out as gay
Just days after LA Galaxy star Robbie Rogers slammed the Olympics committee and FIFA for being “run by racist, sexist, homophobes”, one of this summer’s Rio Olympics hopefuls has announced that he is gay.
Victor Gutiérrez, member of the Spanish water polo team, has come out in an interview with LGBTI magazine Shangay.
Speaking about his sexuality, Victor told: “I’m out of the closet in my environment. My family knows I’m gay, my friends too. And I’m living in such a positive way with my sexuality that I felt a responsibility to share it with others.”
“There have been more than 70 homophobic attacks in Madrid so far this year,” he continued. ‘It is a reality that we live in. And there are almost no athletes who are out of the closet. But in my experience, people have changed. As an athlete, my experience has been absolutely positive.”
Victor also revealed that he never actually sat his teammates down to discuss his sexuality, but instead just introduced them to his at-the-time boyfriend like anybody else would.
“I never sat down with the president of my club, the coach or teammates. In the end, it is my life and I do what I want.”
He finished: “I hope my coming out serves to break a taboo within the sport. You have to be judged not by your sexuality but by your sporting merit.”
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