Swimming-Emotional Thorpe comes out in TV interview

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Swimming-Emotional Thorpe comes out in TV interview

* Australian champion says he wanted to come out for some time * Feared being gay would not fit his public image as national sports hero * Admits to regrets about quitting swimming prematurely (Adds details, quotes) MELBOURNE, July 13 (Reuters) - Ian Thorpe, Australia's most decorated Olympian, revealed he was gay in an emotional television interview on Sunday, ending years of speculation about the champion swimmer's sexuality. The five-times Olympic gold medallist made the admission to British journalist Michael Parkinson in a pre-recorded interview on Australia's Channel 10 in which he shared his relief in freeing himself from living "a lie". "What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity." One of Australia's favourite sons, Thorpe had long denied he was gay and wrote in his 2012 autobiography 'This Is Me' that he was heterosexual.

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