Former Olympic swimmer, Mark Foster comes out as gay

Mark Foster, who swam for Great Britain in five Olympic Games, has come out publicly as gay in an interview with The Guardian. The retired 47-year-old said in the interview that he has been dating men for the last 26 years, during much of his career.

Despite being out to many people in his personal life, Foster said coming out publicly had still brought him some anxiety. “I was a bit nervous today but I kept busy,” he said in the interview.

Foster’s distinguished career brought him six World Championships and eight world records. He was also the flag bearer for Team Great Britain in the 2008 Olympics.