Tom Daley inspires Brazilian diver to come out as gay
Inspired by British Olympic diver Tom Daley’s recent decision to talk about his same-sex relationship, a gay championship diver in Brazil has come out in a newspaper interview.
Ian Matos, 24, said a friend advised him to stay in the closet until after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
But seeing Tom Daley talk openly about his sexuality in a YouTube video published in December encouraged Matos to change his mind.
In an interview to Brazil’s Correio newspaper, Matos said the pressure of hiding boyfriends, avoiding gay parties and not being himself proved too much.
He said he hoped that coming out would not impact his ability to be a successful diver and not cost him any potential sponsorship.
Matos was the Brazilian 3-meter champion in 2013 and won a bronze medal in 2012 during an event in the US.
