Tyler Downs will compete in men’s diving at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. His event? The 3-meter synchronized springboard, along with diving partner Greg Duncan.
Along Downs’ journey to the Paris Olympics, he’s earned the monicker of “comedian,” due to the guy’s great sense of humor.
If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who follow the 21-year-old on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve no doubt noticed this.
The world noticed when he and gay bestie Bryden Hattie — a diver for Canada and the University of Tennessee — descended on Montreal and Santiago for international competitions. The two were, as Hattie put it, “the gay icons of Pan Ams.” The Pan American Games were held in Santiago, Chile, last autumn.
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Downs was tagged in the video as a “gay icon.” He didn’t deny it, yet the diver has never said the words “I’m gay” publicly that we know of.
Then there’s the video with Downs tagged where he and Hattie pretend to fend off guys tracking them down on Grindr.
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Totally straight.
It’s reminiscent of Johnny Weir at the Winter Olympics in 2006 and 2010.
The American figure skater at the time seemed gay gay gay to everybody. He played along with NBC’s hinting at his orientation, at the 2006 Olympics appearing in an NBC TV spot called “He’s here, he’s Weir,” playing off of the “we’re here, we’re queer” chant.
A documentary film about his life had him cuddling with a Hello Kitty wearing Gucci sunglasses.
Totally straight.
For the longest time, Weir simply wouldn’t publicly say the words, “I’m gay.” He did come out very clearly as gay, eventually in 2011, after his competitive career had ended.
Downs seems to be having the same fun with his sexuality. He talks about flirting and dating in the athletes village at the Paris Olympics, but he doesn’t tell us if he’d be flirting with and dating guys, girls or both.
In fact, in this TikTok video, he essentially says he’s gay.
“I’m passing the phone to someone, because he does synchro with me, everyone thinks he’s gay.”
Mind you, Downs in that video doesn’t say his diving partner is considered gay because he’s a diver, or because he does synchro. His diving parter, Duncan, is thought of to be gay because he does synchro with Downs.
Then, of course, is Downs putting on his briefs.
Is Tyler Downs gay? Bi? Straight?
Frankly, we don’t care. He is who he is, and if he’s the Johnny Weir of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, we’re here for it.
