Olympic athlete Colin Jackson comes out as gay
FORMER Olympian Colin Jackson has spoken for the first time about the support he had from his parents when he told them he was gay.
Jackson was speaking on a Swedish television show after previously denying speculation he was gay.
During an interview with reporter and former high-jumper Kajsa Bergqvist, the Cardiff-born former sprinter spoke of his worries that the media might want to “sensationalise” the story about him being gay.
Ms Bergqvist, who was working on the series Rainbow Heroes, asked: “Your parents didn’t know that you were seeing men?”
The former world record holder said: “No. I was waiting for them in the kitchen and they walked into the kitchen and they sat down and my mother could see my face.
“I was quite distraught. And she said, ‘What’s the matter?’
“So I said, ‘Well, there’s a story going round in the newspaper about me and this bloke – and it didn’t faze them at all.
“So my mum said, ‘Is it true? Is the story true?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s true.’ So I can’t deny this story, it’s true.
“She went, ‘Well, why are people so disgraceful? Why would you want to sell someone’s story like this?’ And then I realised I’ve got the best parents, haven’t I?”
Jackson, 50, who won a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, said his parents Angela and Berris were very supportive when he told them in 2006.
When asked why he decided to come out publicly now, he said: “Because you asked. There’s no better reason.
“The way you asked me was a whole storytelling kind of thing, and you were just interested in the way it affected me sport-wise, emotionally wise. Lots of people who have asked before have wanted to sensationalise.”
Since he gave the interview he has been inundated with messages of support.
Director of LGBT charity Stonewall Cymru responded to the news on Twitter and said: “Everyone’s journey is different, coming out is a personal choice! Congrats Colin Jackson.”
Brett Morse, an Olympian from Penarth, said on Twitter: “Amazing courage from Colin Jackson coming out as gay today.
“Huge icon in and outside of the sporting world.”