Olympic Gold Medalist Kerron Clement Comes Out as Gay: ‘I Was Tired of Loving in the Dark’

Olympic gold medalist track and field athlete Kerron Clement has come out as gay. “I was tired of loving in the dark. I have been through what a lot of people have been through which is being afraid of being who you are. I struggled with my sexuality for 17 years. Over time, as you get older, you care less. Now it's time to just be yourself and be free. That's what I've become, free,” he told OUT magazine in an interview published on National Coming Out Day.

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To be better as a society we have to celebrate each other's victories, work together to make the game fair for everyone. So it's up to us to speak up and not be afraid about inclusion in sports and not allowing people with differences such as sexuality, gender, race & disabilities to be discriminated against. We have to stand together until all of us are included. It's why I'm here today, and I hope this inspires more people to do the same. @nike @nikerunning #betrue #untilweallwin #pride2019 #nike #loveislove #lgbtq #gaypride #equality 🏳️‍🌈 📸 @marcus.chi

A post shared by Kerron Clement (@kerronclement) on Jun 4, 2019 at 9:07am PDT

OUT adds: ‘His coming out — or as he prefers to say, “I'm just telling my story, finally being free and comfortable.” — came ahead of Nike's dedication of a rainbow-colored track at Los Angeles City College Friday morning. The BETRUE Track at LA City College, which is supported by the Gilbert Baker Foundation (named after the man who created the Pride flag), will serve as a community track open Monday to Thursday until 10 p.m.'