Gay athlete Jake Williamson breaks HYROX world record in men’s open doubles
Williamson said he hopes his success "can play a small part in making [queer] people feel like it’s a space for them”
By Gary Grimes
Gay athlete Jake Williamson has broken a world HYROX record after he and partner Fabi Eisenlauer became the first duo to ever break the 48-minute barrier in the Men’s Open Doubles.
Williamson and Eisenlauer set a new world record time of 47:57 after competing in Berlin last weekend.
The 26-year-old athlete previously set a national and world record for his age group — 25-29 — whilst competing solo in 2023.
He recently spoke to OutSports about his desire to represent the LGBTQ+ community within HYROX at the upcoming world championships in Chicago. This is driven, in part, by a past experience he had of being removed from the WhatsApp group of a football team he played in after he came out as gay.
“I feel HYROX is a super inclusive space,” the former semi-professional footballer told the publication, “although I’m unsure if they will do anything to celebrate Pride Month in June.
“But I’d like to think by having me on the Elite doubles start line in Chicago, and breaking a world record, I can play a small part in making people feel like it’s a space for them.”
We caught up with the burgeoning star last February when he attended Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, where he offered words of encouragement to anyone contemplating coming out: “My biggest advice is, once you’re ready, start talking to the people closest to you. The more you can verbalise it and come to terms with things in your own head, the more confident you’ll become.
“The hardest part for me was coming out to myself, before I came out to others.”
Asked what the biggest different between his life prior to coming out and after, Williamson said: “Real happiness. I know it’s cliche, but you can never underestimate the power of being authentically you., and being comfortable in your own skin. There’s a difference between confidence and comfortability. I’ve always been confident, but not always 100% comfortable in my own skin.”