50 year old Colin Jackson, former British Olympic champion has finally come out publicly to say he is gay having denied his sexuality in the past.

The Welsh former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles, made he revelation for the first time during an interview on Swedish television, with reporters, Kajsa Bergqvist and Peter Häggström, On August 26th 2017, in a clip on Swedish television promoting the series “Rainbow Heroes”.
Speaking with the reporters, Collin said, he chose to keep it secret in the past for fear that the media might ‘sensationalise’ his personal life.

Jackson, born in Cardiff, South Wales and is of Jamaican, Maroon, Taino, and Scottish ancestry. He began his sports career as a promising decathlete before switching to high hurdles. In 1986,he won gold at the 1986 World Junior Championships and soon switched to the senior ranks.

He later set his world record for the 110 metres hurdles on 20 August 1993, winning his first World Championships gold medal in Stuttgart, Germany in 12.91 s. He was unbeaten between 29 August 1993 and 9 February 1995. He won forty-four races consecutively in this period and his winning time at the 1994 Commonwealth Games was a Commonwealth Games record.

After his retirement in 2003, he took to coaching, in athletics and other areas. He is also a key member of the BBC’s televisions athletics coverage. And, in 2004, he started his broadcasting career by co-hosting, with Sally Gunnell, the BBC reality TV programme Born to Win.

In 1990, Colin Jackson was awarded the MBE for his services to athletics and in 1999 he was promoted to OBE and then in 2003 to a CBE.