Olympic gymnast Tomás González comes out as gay in new autobiography
interview with the Spanish website El Desconcierto. “If it’s about making it public, I prefer to do it in this book.”González made his debut at the 2012 London Olympics, placing fourth in the floor exercise and horse vault.
The artistic gymnast finished seventh in the hose vault at the Rio Games in 2016.The 36-year-old says he realized he was gay in his mid-20s.
But it took him time to come to terms with his sexuality. “I cried a lot those days,” he said. “I was in the process of coming to terms with myself as a homosexual and I felt that a part of me was dying, too.”A post shared by Tomas Gonzalez (@tomasgonzalez1)A post shared by Tomas Gonzalez (@tomasgonzalez1)A post shared by Tomas Gonzalez (@tomasgonzalez1)A post shared by Tomas Gonzalez (@tomasgonzalez1)A post shared by Tomas Gonzalez (@tomasgonzalez1)Like many LGBTQ+ athletes, González says he couldn’t take staying closeted any longer.
The weight of the secret was weighing on him, and impacting his quality of life.“After London [2012 Olympic Games], I said, ‘I can’t take it anymore, it’s doing me harm, I’ve gotten this far with him, but I’m not enjoying gymnastics or my accomplishments,” he writes in his book.The groundbreaking athlete–González was the first Chilean artistic gymnast to medal at a World Cup event and qualify for the Summer Olympics–is internationally renowned.
