Matthew Mitcham, 20, was born in Brisbane, and lives and trains in Sydney. He made his Olympic debut in Beijing in the 10m platform event. A former trampoliner, Mitcham began diving eight years ago after being spotted at a local pool by a coach who believed he had potential. Mitcham, who was once the junior world champion in trampoline, quickly began diving full time, and competed in his first national championship meet at age 12.

Mitcham, who is in a committed same-sex relationship, made healdlines when he came out of the closet in 2008 to the Sydney Morning Herald when they were profiling Olympic hopefuls, becoming one of the first Australian athletes to do so. He said he hoped he could find a way to take his partner, Lachlan Fletcher, to support him Beijing - though he couldn't afford it on his own. Mitcham's partner eventually attended the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as a spectator, his trip sponsored by a grant from Johnson & Johnson's Athlete Family Support Program.

The openly-gay Olympian went on to win gold in the men's 10m platform dive, in what was one of the greatest upsets at the Beijing Olympics. Mitcham’s win denied China a sweep of the the men’s and women’s diving gold medals. On his final dive, Mitcham to decided to go for broke, attempting a routine with a high degree of difficulty - a back 2 1/2 somersault with 2 1/2 twists. He nailed it and scored a stunning 112.10 points, getting perfect 10s from four of the seven judges.

Mitcham's journey was not easy. Those close to him have seen him battle depression, retire in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then nine months later resume his sport and build himself into the champion he is today. His partner, Lachlan Fletcher, was by his side for the entire tumultuous journey. Jessica Halloran of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote this about the couple:

He kissed him briefly in the stands and gave him his Olympic bouquet. Later, outside the glowing blue Water Cube, Matthew Mitcham and his partner, Lachlan Fletcher, firmly embraced, both shedding tears.

Carefully nursing Mitcham’s Olympic bouquet, Fletcher spoke of the incredible journey that the diver had taken to the top. Fletcher has been the one constant over the past two years.

He was his rock when Mitcham retired in his late teenage years suffering anxiety and depression. He watched him become a stunt diver at the Sydney Royal Easter show, supported his fight back into the sport and now to win Olympic gold.

Mitcham was the first Australian to compete at the Olympic Games as openly gay at the time of his competition. Other notable gay Australian Olympians include Ji Wallace, who had competed for Australia at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the inaugural trampoline event, and had come out after the Games.

Prior to his 10m platform win, Mitcham was reported to be one of only ten openly gay athletes competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, out of 11,028 athletes from 204 countries. Nine of those ten athletes were women, making Mitcham the only openly gay man to compete in the Games.