Swedish footballer, Anton Hysen has got the sports world talking about gay issues all over again by coming out and revealing that is well coming out…

The son of former Liverpool defender Glenn Hysen, Anton revealed he was gay in Swedish football magazine “Offside”, saying he knew it might now affect his career negatively, but said that would be the problem of anyone who rejected him merely on his sexuality and not his.

Saying that it was “f****d up” that no other Swedish players had come out, he questioned why it would make any difference if someone was or wasn’t saying:

‘I am a footballer. And gay. If I perform as a footballer, then I do not think it matters if I like girls or boys.’

Via The Pink News

Using sport as a method to fight homophobia, Rome yesterday kicked off  ‘A Smash for Civil Rights’ , a tennis tournament, that will see over 250 players from various countries take part.

Organised by Yellow Tennis Rome and Gay Project advocacy groups, Rome city council and the Province of Rome, Gay Project President Imma Battaglia said:

‘The hope is that Rome can become the capital of sport aimed at equality and fighting homophobia,’

Adding she hoped Rome would be able to host both the 2020 Olympics and Gay Games at the same time, this event will see  Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno and Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna amongst top officials attending the four day event.

Yellow Tennis Rome, who have helped organise the event said its mission was to involve people of all ages, races, sexual orientation, gender and religious beliefs in tennis, and have long worked with the gay community in Rome, holding a national tennis tournament every year during the Rome Gay Pride week in June.

A doubles tournament will also be held during Oct 29-31 in Salerno city.

via Sify / Photo credit: MeddyGarnet.

Seen free runners like Damien Walters on Youtube and thought you could do it yourself, but there’s just one problem you’re not quite sure you’ve got the talent right footwear for the job? Well thanks to a company called Fitness Footwear the solution to that problem is only a click away because they’re now selling Inov-8 free running shoes that have been designed specifically for free running.

Sleek and stylish in terms of looks thanks to their black and white styling, these shoes are however far more about appearance. Recognising that for free runners leaping from heights and landing on uneven surfaces isn’t going to be a one off, but instead a frequent occurrence, these shoes are all about keeping you protected and steady on your feet.

So how does it manage it? Three ways. First,  the Inov-8 sole puts you in control of how you’re running by giving your foot the flexion it needs to allow your running action to be as natural as possible. Second, the sticky rubber outsole makes sure you’re in charge of where your foot goes, and not the slippery surface that other shoes would cause you to slide along. Third, the underfoot cushioning ensures that whilst you make an impressive impact on landing, it’s only on your audience and not on your foot

All that’s left to make you the star free runner is for you to slip on a pair and going out there and jumping (very carefully) from one dangerous ledge to another (are you really sure you want to be doing this… maybe walking would be safer?!)

The Inov-8 free running shoe collection is available for both mens and women in siazes 3 to 12 at Fitness Footwear.

Click here now to check out the Inov-8 free running shoe range at Fitness Footwear.

Oh and just in case you need some ideas for your first free running, well run, here’s a few (rather complicated) ideas for you:

Making up  part of a group of nearly 30 players and coaches, the Players’ Association project is entitled “inclusion and diversity” campaign and has been timed to coincide with May 17th International Day Against Homophobia.

Seen as hugely positive step forward following research by Victoria University that Australian rules is seen to be the sport that most gay men feel too threatened to play, the campaign sees players and coaches photographed with handwritten signs calling for great acceptance, and is a follow on from a campaign by gay-oriented rugby union club, the Sydney Convicts who teamed up with Australia’s national rugby union team, the Wallabies in the fight for great acceptance.

A similar campaign was planned for English football, however it apparently failed because our football players weren’t big enough or clever enough to want to participate.

Thanks boys.

Via Gay News Network.

Blake Skjellerup, the New Zealand  short track speed skater who competed in this year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver has announced that he is gay in an interview with Australian gay magazine DNA.

Speaking of how he didn’t hide his sexuality at the games, and walked hand in hand with his boyfriend around the venues, Skjellerup said he would have come out if asked, but did not look to do so as he was more focused on the competition. He did though comment on how surprised he was to be the only competing athlete to visit the PRIDE house, the gay meeting point at Whistler:

I was a bit shocked that I was the first competing gay athlete from these Olympics to visit, especially since I wasn’t able to make it there (owing to scheduling conflicts) until after I had finished competing. But it was great to see such a thing. If I had felt like I needed a space to be myself away from the Olympic village, it would have been there. I hope the idea can grow from Olympics to Olympics.

Whilst Skjellerup has felt that now is the time for him to speak publicly about his sexuality, he doesn’t disclose the name of his boyfriend who is also  a competitive athlete, and also acted to point out the amount of homophobia that still existed in the sports world:

“’We are not yet at the point in society where being gay sportsperson is not a big deal. If I was asked during any of my twenty-something interviews at the Olympics whether I had a boyfriend or a girlfriend — in the same sentence — I would have replied honestly, but I may have replied hesitantly,’”

and the need of role models to combat this:

“Gays are too often given a stereotype. Back when I was 18, and becoming serious about my sport and my Olympic goals, if I could have seen an athlete like myself out there – with whom I could relate to – my journey would have been a lot easier.

“[American figure skater] Johnny Weir meets a specific stereotype, I meet a specific stereotype and [Welsh rugby player] Gareth Thomas meets another. Being gay is just like any other personality trait: it’s multifaceted. I can’t personally relate to Weir or Thomas, and nor will many other young gay athletes out there. But maybe some of them will see something in me to relate to. The more types we provide, the more we’ll appeal to people [who are struggling with their sexuality.”

Via Outsports.

Proving that there is another way to get the shops than just walking along the path and then ever so carefully crossing the road is Damien Walters with his extraordinary parkour / free running skills:

Also currently the powerlifting champion for the Gay Games, Morgan said:

“I’m absolutely delighted to have won my third World ‘Open’ Gold Medal here at the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Championships, completing my aim of winning back-to-back World Championship titles,”

“It has been my goal since failing to regain my first world open title in 2005 to once again win and then defend the World Open Championship. It feels very satisfying to achieve something that I’ve never managed to do before in my sporting career.”

Returning to defend his title at the Gay Games in Cologne this summer, Morgan also serves as a global ambassador for the Federation of Gay Games.

This year’s event takes place from the 31st July to the 7th August, with Germany’s gay foreign minister Guido Westerwelle signed up to preside over the events which will see over 70 different countries compete. You also have the opportunity to enter, but you don’t have long – entries close on 31st May 2010.

You can learn more about the Gay Games and how to enter at the Federation of Gay Games website.

The German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has given his support to the Gay Games VIII which will be held in Cologne from July 31st to August 7th.

Signed up to preside over the opening ceremonies that will take place in the RheinEnergie Stadium, the move by Westerwelle to give his support sends out an important message to both nationally and internationally about the acceptance of the LGBT community in the country.

Speaking about Westerwelle’s sponsorship of the event, the Games Cologne Executive Officer Annete Wachter said:

“Dr. Guido Westerwelle sends an important signal for more tolerance and acceptance of gays and lesbians in our society,”

It is expected that at least 12,000 participants will take part in this year’s event with at double that attending it in terms of spectators.

Guido Westerwelle is the first gay person to hold the position of Foreign Minister or Vice-Chancellor which he took up in October 2009, with his sexual orientation first becoming public when he attended Angela Merkel’s 50th birthday alongside his partner Michael Mronz.

Via Watermark.

Daniel Kowalski, the Olympic medal winning Australian swimmer has come out as gay saying he was “tired of living a lie”.

Talking to the Sunday Age Kowalski said that whilst Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas, who revealed he was gay in December, has acted to inspire him, it had also caused more negative emotions, with the swimmer saying he felt:

“anger because I was jealous … he was out and felt liberated and free”.

Going on to speak about how this anger then moved towards a more inspired train of thought where he began to consider the fact he could do something similar, Kowalksi said:

“…it really got me thinking that I could do that (come out) if I wanted to. I felt really compelled to do it because it’s very tough to live a closeted existence.”

Out to family and friends since 2006, Daniel said that he didn’t realise how living a closeted life had affected him, but now that he was out these feeling of suppression, the reasons why and the impact they have were becoming more obvious:

“Things pop in my head that make me realise that I clearly suppressed these thoughts of being gay … because it was ‘wrong’, as a male it’s ‘wrong’ but even more as an elite athlete,”
“I always knew that I lacked confidence when I stood up on the blocks and I do wonder sometimes if that lack of confidence was fear – fear of not really knowing who I am.

“On the sporting side, I lost to some amazing champions, so I’m not for a second saying that this is the reason I didn’t win. I often wonder if the lack of self-confidence and lack of identity in many ways held me back from reaching my potential.”

Kowalski’s coming out is undoubtedly something to be congratulated, something Gareth Thomas did publicly via Twitter where he wrote “A great friend, and now a free man, who will help thousands of people, especially children.”, however it still acts to show the enormity of the problem with homophobia in the sports world, with Kowalski being yet another athlete who has felt it impossible to come out whilst competing at a top level in his chosen sport.

Whilst Kowalski will act to inspire others, the reality is if the wall of homophobia in sport truly is going to be broken down it needs more people like the Irish hurler Donal Og Cusack to stand up and compete as a proud sportsman, not discussing how things should be different as a retired one.

Via Pink News

The new 2010 Nike Running clothing ranges have sprinted their way into the running stores and we’re pretty sure they’re going to be sprinting right back out again on your back when you’ve seen them because this is some seriously gorgeous stuff.

Made up of two main ranges – Nike Sphere and Nike Dri-fit – these Nike running clothes are designed to ensure that you not only look like one of the most stylish runners pounding the streets, but also feel incredibly comfortable whilst doing it.

With the Nike Sphere range this is all down to the unique Sphere Reach Cool fabric. Designed to react to your changes in body temperature, this fabric is super intelligent and will act to “open” as your workout allowing airflow on across the skin whilst at the same time wicking moisture away. The result. You end up feeling just as cool as you’re looking.

And the Nike Dri-Fit range is designed to do very similar, minus the “opening feature”. Styled using a high performance, lightweight polyester fabric any running clothes made from this  will feel super light against your skin, and will act to move sweat from your skin to the surface of the fabric,where it will then evaporate to keep you feeling dry and comfy.

Pieces available in the collections range from womens and mens long sleeve running tops to Capri running tights, running shorts, with our pick for the boys and the girls being the Nike Lady Dri-Fit Long Sports Top (featured above) for the girls due to it’s it’s built in bra that gives your boobs the support they need, the Nike+ Cord Management that stops those wires flying all over the place AND of course the Dri-Fit technology that ensure you’re kept feeling nice and dry.

For the boys it’s all about the shorts, and in particular the Nike Dri-Fit Team Running shorts. Designed in black with orange banding to the sides these shorts are not only super comfy, but also allow great freedom of movement and ensure you’re kept feeling cool and dry however hard your run gets.

You can check out these picks and the rest of the 2010 Nike running clothes collection online at Sportsshoes.