Matthew Mitcham made me cry.
It takes a lot for me to weep while watching sports, but that’s how moving his gold-medal diving performance was Saturday in Beijing.
I teared up when he first saw the score from his final five and looked on in disbelief. Then again when a female friend ran up to him backstage at the Water Cube, hugged him and said, “Matthew, you just won the Olympics!” Mitcham looked stunned, and started to sob. The tears flowed later when I watched the medal ceremony and saw someone who had conquered a lot in his 20 years looking like the happiest person on Earth. An openly gay male athlete won an Olympic gold medal. With his boyfriend cheering in the stands. Wow!
By winning the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter platform diving, Mitcham struck a golden blow for gay people everywhere who’ve been told they’re flawed or not good enough, especially in the athletic arena. For all the gay men who have been called weak, sissies, pansies, too emotional, not tough enough to compete in sports, that final dive was for you. Mitcham helped to shatter those stereotypes and brought me to tears thinking about what was possible.
Weak? You try executing incredibly detailed dives from 30 feet up with the whole world watching and a medal on the line. Then nailing a dive that scored higher (112.10 points) than any ever attempted in the Olympics to win the gold medal.
Not tough enough? Mitcham became the first diver, man or woman, to beat the Chinese in Olympic diving this year. And he did it on their home turf by performance flawlessly under pressure like the champion he is. It was the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl or a golfer beating Tiger Woods with a 50-foot putt to win the Masters.
With his glorious final round of six dives, the 20-year-old Australian became the most significant openly gay male athlete ever (out lesbians such as Martina Navratilova and Ameile Mauresmo have won their fair share of titles). When it comes to sports, the closet is still much deeper for men than women, which is why Mitcham’s triumph is so historic.
Watching the diving all week, I would bet my life savings that Mitcham was not the only gay man on the springboard or platform. And Greg Louganis, also gay and winner of multiple gold medals, is considered the greatest diver ever. But only Mitcham was out publicly while competing and contending for a gold medal, not worried about the reaction or scrutiny it would bring. Never before have gay sports fan been able to watch a man they know is gay win such a major sporting event; no need for gaydar with Matthew.
His story resonates because it’s universal for millions of people, especially for many who are gay: Struggling with depression, his sexuality and possessing a rebellious streak and a taste for partying for a kid who was not sure he fit in (he might have been the only diver in Beijing to have a pierced tongue). He quit diving in 2006 and came back in 2007 after missing the camaraderie in a place where he was accepted. This is not a spoiled rich kid who had things handed to him. It took a corporate grant from Johnson & Johnson to allow his partner, Lachlan Fletcher, to attend the Games.
Mitcham did not allow his struggles to deter him, but used them as motivation. “I probably wouldn’t have as much of a fighting spirit,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald when he came out publicly this May. “The more you have experienced, the more you have to draw off. I look at the last 20 years as a long, winding path of lessons and some hardship. I hope the rest of my life isn’t straight because that could be boring.”
He has understandably said that he does not want to be known as the “gay diver.” “Being gay and diving are completely separate parts of my life,” he told journalists after winning the gold. “I’m happy with myself the way I am.”
Of course, that is the attitude he should take, but he has become a role model for gays everywhere, whether active in sports or not, simply by being the way he is. We celebrate Mitcham for his courage off the platform and his talent on it, and in the immediate aftermath it’s impossible to separate the two.
Mitcham’s success will not cause a flood of gay athletes to suddenly come out. Every athlete deals with their sexual orientation in his or her own way, and it still is easier to be out in an individual sport than in a team sport with its unique dynamics. Mitcham, though, can act as a symbol that one can be openly gay and yet still scale the heights of their sport.
Matthew Mitcham, athlete. Matthew Mitcham, out and proud gay man. Matthew Mitcham, 2008 Olympic gold medalist. Writing it all makes me cry again. Thanks, Matt.
By Jim Buzinski
15 responses so far ↓
1 Daniel S // Aug 24, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Matt was already a gay hero for coming out before competing in the Olympics, mostly because he was unwilling to hide his relationship from an interviewer. Now he is a gay Champion!Never before have we been able to celebrate the triumph of an openly gay man at the Olympics and this is a major milestone for gay people worldwide. His country is proud of him. The gay community is proud of him. Most importantly, he’s proud of himself, who he is and who he loves.
2 Don // Aug 24, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I was very impressed with Matthew’s poise and skill as a diver. He deserves the applause of all his gay brothers and sisters around the world … not just in his home country. I’m a 70 year old from the USA and wish Matthew and his mate a wonderful life. Kudos! It was a thrill to watch you win the gold!
3 Graeme // Aug 25, 2008 at 7:59 am
Good Lord! Finally someone ‘gets it’ and writes about it!! It’s a miracle! Thanks for putting down in words the overwhelming emotions and feelings I have been feeling since this happened. I bawled my eyes out too - and I hate sport and the Olympics. Now I have my own personal Olympic hero. God love you Matt Mitcham!
4 Jeff // Aug 25, 2008 at 8:05 am
Phelps was amazing, but, Matthew took the best prize of these Olympics. Proud is an understatement for what I feel about this young man. I wish only the best for he and Lachlan and continued success in London! I’m still choked up.
5 Jay // Aug 25, 2008 at 10:48 am
My comment has nothing to do with being gay, since I really don’t care what sexuality someone is (has nothing to do with anything, to me - gay, straight, bi - whatever. Love whoever you want to).
My comment is directed towards what was probably the highlight of the entire Olympics. It wasn’t an event, it wasn’t even someone who was competing in that event. What was it? It was a comment:
“Matthew, you just won the Olympics!”
The Olympics are over! They’ve been won! I absolutely love that quote. It was the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time because it was so genuine.
6 dave // Aug 25, 2008 at 2:56 pm
GREAT STORY! When I saw him on the cover of the Advocate, of course he was very brave; but to do what he did, on the last night there… when everyone else is done and he still has to perform and PERFORM HE DID! FUCKING A!!!! He truly is not only an Australian hero but a hero for everyone to never give up!
7 pfjo // Aug 25, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I think that this had more to do with marketing to an international audience, largely chinese, that isn’t exactly gay supportive than it has to do with stereotyping.
8 Tom // Aug 25, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I wonder if it will drive straight guys away from the sport.
9 Ricci // Aug 26, 2008 at 1:27 am
As an Aussie i feel a bit annoyed that the welcome home for our athletes was presented on two of the Sydney channels. However, all gold medalists were interviewed privately one on one. Hey why did they not interview ‘our hero’? Shame, shame.
10 Craig // Aug 26, 2008 at 2:19 am
Re: Driving straight men away
a) Gays serve openly in the military in many countries. Does that drive straight men not to want to fight in wars? There are also gay police offices. Do gay men drive straights away from those professions.
b) Any straight man driven away from a sport because they afraid to compete with a gay man in my estimation isn’t a man at all. He’s weak and can’t compete.
11 jamie // Aug 26, 2008 at 3:54 am
Great article, Jim.
And well said, Craigh. Love the part b.
12 Paul Mc // Aug 26, 2008 at 7:53 am
Apparently not all medals winners were on the two special charter flights to Sydney - it could be he didn’t return. He stated elsewhere he would not be in Australia until October. I think the first interview he does will recieve a hell of a lot of interest and will get picked up more widely - I hope it soon. I watched all the diving, 3m, 10m , fixed, spring, synchro. The 10m Final and his reaction overcame me completely as it nearly did the BBC comentators.
13 Jonathan UK // Aug 26, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Beautiful!Thank you.
14 Jonathan - UK // Aug 26, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Taken from Matt’s Facebook site - it would be great if we all left a message for him :o)
Did Matt make you proud? Tell him ‘Thankyou’.
Today at 3:54am
Hi all, your messages of support to Matt both before and after his dives have been absolutely amazing. So amazing in fact we want to keep them on record forever.If you’d like to say ‘Thank you’ to Matt for inspiring you, making you proud, or just for winning the Gold please visit:www.thankyouproject.com.auCreate your own personalised thankyou to Matt. All thankyous sent are preserved in the online gallery for everyone to visit.It’s very easy and it’s free! When you send a Thankyou please send to myshaun@gmail.com and some of the best will be featured on this page.All the best and thanks for your support of Matty.
15 Mike // Oct 8, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Huh? The most significant openly gay athlete ever? Everyone knew Greg Louganis was gay from the age of 16. Just because he did not shout it from the rooftop, does not mean that he was not openly gay. And Carl Lewis? Again, he was not wearing chaps and rainbow sweats when he won all those events, but was clearly openly gay.
Not taking anything away from Matt, he was truly the champion of this Olympics and possible the biggest upset of any sport in the Olympic ever.
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