Ian Thorpe, the Australian Olympic
swimmer nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey who has previously denied
rumors he's gay, will discuss his sexuality in an upcoming interview.
Australia's channel TEN is advertising
a “no limits” interview between Sir Michael Parkinson and Thorpe
with a promo in which Thorpe is asked about his sexuality.
“You've always said that you're not
gay. Is all of that true?” Parkinson
is seen asking in the clip.
The 31-year-old Thorpe has won five
Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian. He was also the
most successful athlete to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
In an interview last year to promote
his autobiography This Is Me, Thorpe said the persistent
rumors question his integrity.
“Yeah, look, the thing that I find
hurtful about it is that people are questioning kind of my integrity
and what I say,” said Thorpe. “That's the only part that I find
hurtful. Like is that, you know, this is something that I would be
embarrassed about, that I would hide or whatever else.”
“I don't want to offend anyone that,
you know, whether they're people [who] have friends that are gay or
whatever else, I don't want to offend them by … getting angry about
it, getting frustrated about it. The only part that I'm frustrated
with is that people think that I'm lying,” he added.
Channel TEN will broadcast its
interview on Sunday, July 13.