Finnish Olympic swimmer Ari-Pekka Liukkonen has made history by becoming the first Finnish athlete to come out as gay while still active in his sport.
The winner of the bronze medal in the 4x50m mixed freestyle relay at the 2012 European Championships, he said he wanted to talk publicly about his sexuality close to the Sochi Olympic games to bring attention to Russia’s controversial anti-gay legislation.
From Finnish news site Yle.
"I wanted to start a broader discussion in connection with Sochi, because it’s sad that the legislation in Russia restricts the human rights of young people and others," Liukkonen told Yle.
"It’s a really great feeling that I can finally be myself," added Liukkonen.
Liukkonen added that he hopes his coming out will lead to a more open attitude about sexual orientation in sports and that eventually it will no longer be considered news. ”Homosexuality is the same kind of characteristic as whether a person has blue or brown eyes, or whether they are left- or right-handed,” he offered.
The swimmer came out to his family on an individual basis over the past couple of years and said their response was very supportive.
“My family has received the news positively, and everyone has supported me,” Liukkonen revealed, adding that they had already sensed that he’s gay.
Liukkonen has suffered from mycoplasma for the past two years, but is optimistic about competing in the 50 metre freestyle in the Rio Olympic games in 2016.
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