Daily Telegraph, 30 January 2009

SWIMMING hero Ian Thorpe has rubbished continuing speculation about his sexual orientation by insisting: I am not gay.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist was responding after being snapped playing in the surf with swimmer pal and long-time housemate Daniel Mendes in Brazil last week.

The pair had jetted over in late December to celebrate Christmas with the Mendes family after first celebrating with Thorpe's family in Australia.

It was the second time Thorpe has accompanied Mendes home to

Brazil in the past year.

But today he stormed: "Over the last few days there have been a series of press articles published speculating about my friendship with Daniel Mendes.

"I am still friends with many of the people I competed and trained with during my swimming career. Daniel is one such good friend whom I have known for many years.

"I have only commented on this issue at this time because I draw a line when innuendo implicates people like my family and my friends.

"I find this kind of inaccurate speculation tiresome and I am annoyed by the hurt it has caused those closest to me."

He added: "In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media."

He then referred to an interview for Good Weekend Magazine shortly after his retirement in March 2007.

In that story he said: "I don't have a problem being a gay icon, it's not a big deal to me. But I think the gay speculation, along with when I was accused of taking drugs in 2000, was an attempt to pull me down from the top.

"Some people think it's an insult to say, 'Oh, I think he's gay', but I don't take it that way. I'm not gay. I'm lucky that within myself I don't care enough to get worried or upset over it."

In the interview he also told how he hoped to marry and have as many as four children. He spoke of wishing for an independent woman as his partner - admitting someone similar to Angelina Jolie would be ideal.

And today he said: "My situation in this regard has not changed.

"I look forward to myself and those around me receiving the respect and privacy afforded others."