Ian Thorpe | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Ian Thorpe has come out as a gay man.

The 31-year-old Australian Olympian opened up about his sexuality during an interview with Channel 10‘s Michael Parkinson (via AP).

“I’ve thought about this for a long time. I’m not straight,” Ian said. “And this is only something that very recently — we’re talking in the past two weeks — I’ve been comfortable telling the closest people around me exactly that.”

“I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man,” Ian continued. “And I don’t want young people to feel the same way that I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay.”

He added, “I wanted to make my family proud. I wanted to make my nation proud of me. And part of me didn’t know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay…But I’m telling not only Australia, but I’m telling the world, that I am.”

Ian later tweeted, “To Everyone who has sent a message of support I sincerely Thank you!”

In case you didn’t know, Ian won three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In Athens, in 2004, he was awarded one bronze, one silver and two more gold medals.

Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe has contracted two infections and is in the hospital in intensive care as of Tuesday (April 8) in Sydney, Austrlia.

The 31-year-old competitive swimmer, who has 11 world championship victories and five Olympic gold medals, contracted the shoulder infection after undergoing surgery in that area.

“It’s serious but it’s not life-threatening,” his agent James Erskine said (via the Sydney Morning Herald).

“He’s contracted two forms of bugs in hospital. He’s undergone two or three operations over the last two months so … I mean bad luck. He’s quite sick but that’s the situation. From a competitive point of view – he will not be swimming competitively again I don’t think,” he added.

Our thoughts are with Ian during this time.

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe goes shirtless on the beach on Wednesday (December 28) in Sydney, Australia.

The 29-year-old Aussie swimmer enjoyed a lunch with friends followed by a nice swim in the ocean near Bondi Beach.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ian Thorpe

“I’m in training at the moment,” Ian told The Australian earlier this month at the Italian Winter Championships. “I came here to take the opportunity to race, and to race against fast swimmers. I don’t look at where I come in the race. I look at the time, how fast it is. I watch it, I critique my race after it but I have no control of what the others are doing. It’s not a concern now, maybe later, but now it’s too premature.”

10+ pictures inside of shirtless sexy Ian Thorpe…More Here! »

Former Australian Olympic medalist swimmer Ian Thorpe spends the day at Dolans Bay in Sydney, Australia on Thursday (January 29).

Thorpe, 26, has been relaxing with friends before returning to university next week, studying psychology and linguistics at Macquarie University.

Rumors have been swirling from tabloids after Thorpe spent the holidays in Brazil with his roommate, Brazilian swimmer Daniel Mendes.

Mendes has been living with Thorpe for the past three years as his housemate, Sydney Confidential reports.

10+ pictures of Ian Thorpe swimming in Sydney…

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Five-time Olympic champion swimmer Ian Thorpe, aka Thorpedo, attends the Qantas Spirit Of Youth Awards (SOYA) at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Thursday in Sydney, Australia.

SOYA is the leading award for Australia’s best emerging artists, musicians, designers and creatives.

The Thorpedo, 25, was accompanied by Aussie fashion designer Peter Morrissey.More Here! »

Big name Aussie hunks — Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, swimming world champion Ian Thorpe and Oprah’s favorite gardener Jamie Durie — flock to the premiere of Bra Boys at the State Theatre on Wednesday night in Sydney, Australia.

Bra Boys is a documentary narrated by Russell and tells the story of a gang that stirs up controversy, centered on the Sydney suburb of Maroubra. Out in Australian theaters on March 15.

Says Russell of the autobiographical flick, “What I tried to do was instill the confidence to stick with their original intention, which was to make a documentary-length feature about their lives and who they are.”

There was a Bra Boys brawl as the post-premiere party and amazingly enough, Russell Crowe was not involved.

Also pictured: Surfer and Maroubra Bra Boys Koby Abberton and Sunny Abberton. Noticeably missing was brother Jai Abberton.

For video from this red carpet event, click here. For more pictures from the premiere of Russell, Ian, Jamie, and the Bra Boys, CLICK HERE!

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