Robbie Manson (right, sat behind Jordan Parry) reached his first Olympic rowing final in the men's double sculls at Paris 2024. | Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images

There might not have been an Olympic medal waiting for Robbie Manson at the end of his third Games but reaching a rowing final has quite rightly given him a sense of achievement.

And having more than embraced his status as one of very few out gay men in his sport, he continues to break down stereotypes and shame. That’s worthy of accolades.

Manson and Jordan Parry knew they were in for a tough race at Vaires-sur-Marne on Thursday. The New Zealanders ended up sixth out of six teams, with Romania, the Netherlands and Ireland taking the podium places.

Frustratingly, it was their slowest time of the week but even before the race, they were both looking at the bigger picture.

“I’m just incredibly proud of us,” Manson told Rowing NZ. “I think we’re a great team. We take the piss out of each other and our coach Gary [Roberts], and we’ve not only made the final but we’ve had fun doing it. We’ve tried to enjoy the experience as well.”

When the Tokyo Olympics was postponed in 2020, Manson decided to retire from rowing. He’d narrowly missed out on both the quadruple sculls final at London 2012 and the double sculls final at Rio 2016.

Between those two Games, he came out publicly as gay. In a first-person article published on Outsports, he wrote: “I hope that my story can add something to what is already out there. To show other people who might be struggling with their sexuality, not only that it’s OK to be gay, but it’s a good thing, and it won’t change who you are or limit what you can achieve.”

He proved that in 2017, setting a new world best time in single sculls during a World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland. Seven years later, it still hasn’t been beaten.

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There is no limitation to his fanbase either — Manson’s goes far beyond rowing. He was one of the earliest male athletes to start using the OnlyFans platform to help crowdfund his Olympic journey, after deciding to aim for Paris after all. Now 34, he was asked about his experiences this week by Reuters.

“I get more than double what I would be on otherwise as an athlete — read into that what you will, but I am making more from OnlyFans than I am from rowing at this stage,” he said.

Manson was always clear that the images he was posting there were “anything but adult entertainment,” although the Reuters article still referred to him as having been “publishing adult-themed content” — an indication of how even artistic male nudity is still perceived.

Refreshingly, he has no hang-ups about catering to his community, adding: “The fact that I’m gay, I have the gay following and the audience already, and I’m slightly leaning into that. I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, (but) for other athletes, there’s definitely an opportunity there.”

With several Olympic divers also earning from OnlyFans, it’s likely that more athletes will take a serious look at the platform in the future, or at least explore avenues where they can monetise their outstanding physiques.

Encouragingly, Manson says Rowing New Zealand officials haven’t complained about his unusual revenue stream – “it’s great, I haven’t had any issues” — and he would advise other athletes that they should already have “some sort of audience… and a point of difference” before giving it a go.

For far too long, gay and bi athletes in men’s sports were warned against coming out and being visible supposedly because sponsors would back off them. Thanks to Manson, other pioneers and the inescapable rise of the social media thirst trap, the power dynamic continues to shift.

A decade ago, Manson signed off his coming out article by saying: “At the end of the day, [being gay] is only one of the many things that define me as a person. It’s how hard you’re prepared to work for something and your talent that determines what you can achieve, not your sexuality.”

After Thursday’s final on the lake at Vaires-sur-Marne, he wrote on his Instagram story: “Tough race today but 6th place at the Olympics.”

Talent, determination, achievement — and authenticity. The LGBTQ community should be incredibly proud of Manson too.