To celebrate the holidays, Queerty is playing Santa to all your favorite folks and asking what they want under the tree/ next to the menorah/ beside the Saturnalia bonfire this year, no Ms. America answers allowed.
It’s been a good year for 20-year-old Australian diver Matthew Mitcham. In August, he casually came out to the Sydney Morning Herald on the eve of his Olympic journey to Beijing, where he not only nabbed the gold medal in the 10m diving event, he did so by achieving the highest score ever given in the event’s history. And while NBC panned away from his warm victory embrace of his boyfriend Lachlan Fletcher, who attended the game under a grant from Johnson & Johnson’s Athlete Family Support Program, Mitcham came home to a hero’s welcome. Australian newspapers declared him their country’s 2008 Sports Performer of the Year, and he’s become a bona-fide sports hero across the continent. Not a gay sports hero, but a sports hero.
And oh, yeah, did we mention that, by all reports, Mitcham’s pretty much unfazed by all his new found fame? Need more proof? Just ask the gold-medal Olympian what crazy, fancy item he hopes to get under the tree this year.
“I’d really like a GPS / car navigation system. There are some amazing ones on the market and most are very affordable. It’s something I would get a lot of use out of. You can’t go past technology for a gift in this day in age!”
Beej the Pink Sheep
“Not a gay sports hero, but a sports hero.” I love that about him.
Dawster
my wish list IS Matthew Mitcham!
Alan down in Florida
I hope Matthew’s mate is reading this. Matthew has earned whatever he wants. A true gay hero.
alan brickman
he is a hero period….not just a gay one…
concretepinata
Just a darling individual.
alan brickman
Would love to see a book from him..
Peking Duck
If you only got your information from the American MSM, you’d never know he even existed.
Stephen
Mattie is so cool and so laid back – and it IS great that being gay is just one small thing about him.
http://thestateofthenationuk.blogspot.com/
Jack Scribe
Seems like a decent person – the real deal. Matt’s a role model to ALL younger guys.
Mike
I saw him win in Beijing. I couldn’t believe, the entire stadium was stunned, even Mitcham had expected the Chinese to win. He is one of the greatest stories of the Summer Olympics. The best part, is that his sexuality really is just a side note.
Jaxson67
even though he won gold, sports performer of the year and is an all round excellent young man, he still has no sponsorship and relies on a grant from the new south wales institute of sport. come on sponsors the world loves this young man!
Distingué Traces
OH MAH GAWD, so cute.
Mark
His BF is a very lucky man.
Nereida
Matt’s incredibly beyond amazing. I’ve never EVER had such deep admiration a sportsperson like that, maybe because of the fact that he’s soooo young (just 20!) yet so mature. He’s like perfection personified: an exceptionally talented athlete, an even more wonderful human being for being so courageous, smart, articulate, humble, down-to-earth, etc etc etc…and of course for being so freaking gorgeous 😉
Lachlan’s a hell of a lucky man and this girl’s jealous as fuck 😛
But I wish them ALL THE BEST in the future and I can’t wait to see Matt winning gold again in London!!!