Tom Bosworth is the first British Track & Field athlete to come out

Race walker Tom Bosworth has become the first British track and field athlete to come out as gay.

Speaking on Victoria Derbyshire’s BBC2 program this morning, the Rio 2016 hopeful said his friends, family and team mates had known about his sexuality for a while.

“I’m here to speak publicly for the first time about my sexuality,” Bosworth said, explaining that increased attention as his career grew made him feel it was time to raise the topic.

Bosworth, who’s been in a “really happy relationship” for the past four and a half years, said he hoped within a few years time, a top athlete coming out would not be classified as news.

In an exclusive interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Bosworth was asked why he thought he was so far the only British track & field athlete to come out.

“I’m really lucky, I ‘ve got a loving family and a great family behind me – I’ve got no problem at all. That’s not the same for everybody, unfortunately – even in 2015. In sport, I don’t think ‘gay’ is still a normal thing. I can’t tell you why because I don’t think I have an answer. In most other things its very common to have a gay colleague, but in sports, it’s not.”

Bosworth said that, while some of his track & field team mates were shocked when he came out, “they just realise that you’re a completely normal person.” He singled out Mo Farah as a peer who showed particular support and interest.

While he said ‘99%’ of those in the sporting community had been supportive, some “club athletes that come and go” had taunted him with homophobic abuse.

“I got called some really nasty names – they wouldn’t call me by my name. I got called fag and queer – that was how they would direct a conversation to me, and they found it really funny. Not many other people found it funny.

“They’re not in my life any more – I’m not sure they’re even competing any more.”

Bosworth holds three British Records. He is currently ranked first overall in the UK for 20 km, and his current personal best leaves his third on the 20km British All-Time List.

Bosworth said he personally knew of no other high-level athletes who were gay but not out.