Australian diver Matthew Mitcham came out of the closet in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald Saturday and now the athlete is fighting to bring his partner with him to the Olympics in Beijing this summer.

Mitcham, 20, who battled with depression and retired in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, is now among the top divers in the World. His partner, Lachlan, supported him throughout the difficult times and Mitcham hopes he will be able to be there to support him when he competes in Beijing:

"We can't afford for Lachlan to go at the moment," Mitcham told the Sydney Morning Herald. "But Johnson & Johnson offer grants to go to Beijing and I've nominated Lachlan as the support person I want to go."

It's not only Lachlan who has helped Mitcham to Beijing. His coach, Chava Sobrino, had faith in him when no one else did and resurrected his career. Former athlete Sarina Bratton cares for him like a son and fellow diver Alex Croak is a constant sounding board and his best friend.

"That little support network has made my dream possible," Mitcham said. "It would have been impossible and I probably wouldn't have made it without their help."

Mitcham won the gold medal at the USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale last week with four perfect dives from the 10-metre platform, beating out the two top Chinese divers who will challenge him for gold in Beijing.

See Matthew Mitcham in action here:

Last update: 05-27-2008 17:17