Ian Thorpe has come out as gay. After years of gay rumor denial, suffering from depression, failing to comeback and dating girlfriends, the Australian Olympic swimmer admitted on national television the truth about his sexuality.

Watch a teaser to Ian Thorpe admitting that he is gay on Youtube.

The 31-year-old Australian swimmer has spent all his life denying gay rumors. Quoted by Sydney Herald, in his 2012 memoir ‘This Is Me’, he wrote:

''For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight. I'm attracted to women, I love children and aspire to have a family one day … I know what it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay before I knew who I was.''

Ian Thorpe is one of the many professional athletes that had troubling history of coming out as gay. In a world where masculinity is prized and worshipped, athletes do not find it easy to come out. Only recently has athletes started to come out about their sexuality. While the stigma still is present in the industry, most of them have been lauded for their bravery and truthfulness.

The five-time Olympic champion sat down with Sir Michael Parkinson of Ten Insider to reveal his sexuality. Sir Parkinson remarked that “I think his sexuality is no one’s business but his own. But I think it’s one of the best interviews I have ever done in terms of (Thorpe) talking about depression and things like that.”

As Australia’s most successful Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe had publicly struggled with depression, comebacks and denials about his sexuality.

He won three gold medals and two silver for Australia at 2000 Olympic games in Sydney and two gold at 2004 Athens.