Mitcham (right) and fellow Aussie diver Grant Nel with their medals. Picture / Twitter. Gay diver Matthew Mitcham has had a strong start to his Commonwealth Games campaign, picking up a silver medal. The Australian finished with a flourish at the pool in Edinburgh, nabbing his fifth ever medal at the Commonwealth Games. He still has a number of events ahead, including the 10m platform where another openly-gay diver, England’s Tom Daley, will also compete. Mitcham, who won Olympic gold in 2008, may retire after the Games. The 26-year-old’s told Australian media: "I've been in the sport for a really long time and everyone has to retire at some stage … So I guess it gives me a bit of a sense of ease that I've actually got something that I can look forward to. But it doesn't make leaving the sport any easier. I love diving so much, so it's always going to be a difficult decision. "I'm not sure [if this is my swansong]. I guess the older I get, the more I do have to think about that impending retirement. "The only thing that is pushing me towards that is that I've had recurring injuries over the past couple of years that have really prevented me from being able to physically put everything that I know it takes to be the best in the world." He’s been busy outside the sport with a touring cabaret show based on his autobiography Twists and Turns, in which he explores everything from his Olympic gold glory to struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 31st July 2014 - 12:42pm