Mark Foster: Former swimmer and Olympian says 'now is the time' as he reveals he is gay

Foster, who represented Team GB at five Olympic Games, has come out as gay

The former British Olympian Mark Foster has come out as gay (Getty)

The former Olympic swimmer Mark Foster has come out as gay in an interview with The Guardian, declaring: “I tiptoed around in the shadows for so long, but now is the time to come out”.

Foster is a former world champion and has represented Great Britain at five Olympic Games. He was chosen as Team GB’s flag bearer at Beijing 2008, retiring shortly after the Games.

Since retiring Foster has regularly appeared as an analyst for BBC Sport’s swimming coverage, as well as working as an ambassador for a number of charities.

In the interview with Donald McRae, Foster says that he has “swerved and swerved” the topic in interviews and has previously been in two long-term relationships.

“I’ve just swerved and swerved. Telling half-truths and not being my true self is only hurting me,” he said.

“I’m 47, a middle-aged man, and I’m no longer competing. And I’m not the first gay sportsman to come out. Gareth Thomas and Tom Daley led the way.”

Foster, who reveals in the interview that he had considered coming out publicly many times before, has had to endure tabloid rumours about his private life on a number of occasions, particularly when he appeared on BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing.

Foster carrying the Union Flag at Beijing 2008 (Getty)

There were also rumours that he was in a possible relationship with former swimmer and fellow BBC analyst Rebecca Adlington. But Foster said that he wanted to come out on his own terms.

“I didn’t want to be forced,” Foster says in the interview.

“There was that stuff about Becky [Adlington] but she knows I’m gay and knows my other half. We’re good mates and when she doesn’t want to answer anything on live television she’ll squeeze my leg and I take over. But it became a huge story. I should have said: ‘Don’t be daft. I’m gay.’”

Stonewall is currently running its Rainbow Laces campaign (Getty)

Foster also says that he understands why football players are hesitant to come out as gay.

Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign runs from November 24 to December 3 and sees players, clubs and fans from across football showing their support for LGBT inclusion in sport. But there are no active players in English football who have come out.

“I understand what’s stopping gay footballers coming out,” Foster says.

“I’ve been to many football matches and seen that aggressive mob mentality. Because of dressing room ‘banter’ they don’t want to show their real selves. Football is a weird testosterone-driven world and it’s the last bastion. But if a gay footballer came out it would change so many attitudes.”