Ian Thorpe: 'Lie About Sexuality Became Too Big'

Swimming star Ian Thorpe has revealed he is gay, telling a TV chat show host he was worried "the lie" about his sexuality threatened to undermine his achievements.

In an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson, the five-time Olympic gold medallist said he only decided to tell his friends and family he was not straight "very recently".

"Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay," he said. "But I'm telling the world that I am."

Thorpe, who is one of Australia's most successful athletes, previously denied allegations about his sexuality.

Writing in his biography This Is Me two years ago, the 31-year-old said: "For the record, I'm not gay and all of my sexual experiences have been straight.

"I'm attracted to women, I love children and I aspire to have a family one day."

But in the interview with Sir Michael on Australia's Channel 10, Thorpe said: "I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight.

"This is only something that, very recently - in the past two weeks - I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me.

"The problem was I was asked at such a young age about my sexuality.

"I went to an all-boys school, so if you're accused of being gay, the answer is no and you get ready for a fight.

"I didn't know at that stage - I was too young.

"I carried this. I thought the lie had become so big, I didn't want people to question my integrity ... I didn't want people to question whether I'd lied about everything."

The swimmer, nicknamed Thorpedo for his speed in the pool, added: "I don't want young people to feel the same way I did. I've wanted to (speak about my sexuality) for some time. I couldn't, I didn't feel as though I could."

In February, Thorpe's management denied reports he was in rehab for depression and alcohol abuse after he was reportedly found "dazed and disorientated" in Sydney, Australia.

The athlete was taken to hospital after a boy called police to say a man was attempting to break into his family's van, according to Channel Nine.

His management claimed he was in hospital for an operation.

His agent James Erskine later admitted Thorpe had been taking a mixture of anti-depressants and medication for a shoulder injury.

In his autobiography, the athlete wrote he had spent much of his life battling "crippling depression".

Thorpe won 11 world championship gold medals in addition to his Olympic haul.

After standing on the podium at three successive Games, he quit swimming in 2006 before making an unsuccessful attempt at a comeback for London 2012.