Plymouth diver says coming out as gay was both "traumatic" and "liberating"
Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley has told GQ Magazine he wishes he had done it sooner
Plymouth diver Tom Daley has said coming out as gay was a “traumatic” experience but he wishes he had done it sooner.
The 27-year-old athlete told GQ magazine that going through the process while being in the public eye was a “surreal” experience.
The Olympic gold medallist came out in 2013 and told GQ: "It was kind of traumatic, but then (also) a very liberating experience.
"To be honest, I wish I had come out earlier. I don’t know what that would have been like for me or whatever, but since coming out I’ve felt like I could be myself; all of that pressure comes off.
"I look back and think ‘Imagine if I was out when I was 16, 17, when I first started exploring?’
"One thing that’s hard is exploring sexuality in the public eye.
"I think if I wasn’t in the public eye maybe things would be different. It’s a very surreal thing to have to go through that in the public eye".
Daley, who has won four Olympic medals, including a gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in Tokyo, also discussed his chances of competing at the Paris Games in 2024.
"It's difficult, because I know that I’m getting better", he said.
"I always said that I’ll keep going until my body gives up or until I get the gold medal. And I’ve got the gold medal.
"But my body’s getting better. So there are lots of decisions to be made in the next year or so.
"This time that I’ve had since the Olympics, when I’ve not been diving, I’ve realised, you know what? I actually miss it. I actually do like diving!
"It's something that I would probably do recreationally anyway".
You can read the full feature in the GQ Heroes issue available on digital download and on newsstands from Friday 5th November.