Diving legend chosen along with fellow Olympic medalists Janet Evans and Allyson Felix.
Forty years after competing in his first Olympics, Greg Louganis is still making history.
The Olympic diving legend will be the first openly gay man to ride as grand marshal of the Rose Parade in January.
Louganis, 56, was chosen for the honor along with fellow Olympic medalists Janet Evans and Allyson Felix.
The parade takes place on 2 January in Pasadena, California and its theme is Echoes of Success.
In a Twitter post, Louganis described himself as ‘incredibly honored.’
The three athletes have been active in promoting Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Summer Games.
Louganis, who has been living with HIV for three decades, won two gold medals in 1988, two in 1984 and a silver medal in 1976 while still in high school.
Although he did not come out publicly as a gay man until 1994, Louganis was rumored to be gay and that seemed to hurt his commercial endorsement opportunities.
But in recent years he seems to be getting more his due especially since the airing of the Emmy-nominated documentary Greg Louganis: Back On Board.
Earlier this year, Louganis and Evans along with fellow Olympic legend Edwin Moses received the long overdue honor of being placed on boxes of Wheaties breakfast cereal.
‘It means more now than it probably would’ve then, because they would’ve been celebrating the athlete (back then),’ Louganis said in a July episode of Where Are They Now?
‘I’m a gay man living with HIV. I feel like I’m being embraced as a whole person, and not just a part of me.’
