Gay friend forgives swim star's 'faggot' tweet

Getty Images

FRIEND: Diver Matthew Mitcham says Stephanie Rice is not homophobic.

HANDED BACK: Stephanie Rice and her luxury Jaguar in happier times.

Getty Images

SORRY: Stephanie Rice at an Australian swim team photo shoot before she withdrew from the Commonwealth Games because of injury.

Related Links

Aussie swim star in trouble over homophobic tweet Gay slur costs Aussie swim star her luxury Jaguar

Relevant offers

Other sports

Top skaters shred in Wellington Keeling puts Coast to Coast faith in new kayak Adams back amid fine field for Porritt Classic All Blacks stars of show at Halberg Awards Coutts not worried by lack of Cup challengers Jan Ullrich guilty of doping; gets two-year ban Usshers want his and hers Coast to Coast titles Korea bounce back to beat Black Sticks 4-2 Sir Murray honoured with his own Halberg SBW's fight degrading to boxing says Jones

Gold medal winning diver Matthew Mitcham has leapt to the defence of swimmer and good friend Stephanie Rice, claiming his Olympic teammate is not homophobic.

Following the Wallabies' last-minute win against South Africa early on Sunday morning, Rice posted on twitter: "Suck on that faggots. Probs the best game I've ever seen!! Well done boys."

The tweet, which was later deleted, caused outrage.

Former rugby league star Ian Roberts labelled Rice "a complete idiot" and called for sponsors to dump her.

And luxury car maker Jaguar did exactly that yesterday - cancelling her sponsorship and demanding she return her free car.

But Olympic champion Mitcham, who is openly gay, said while Rice's comments were thoughtless, "she luvs gays".

"I agree, it was offensive and very thoughtless, but being friends with her for 2yrs, I know she is not homophobic," Mitcham wrote on Twitter.

"She meant no malice, and she has apologised for her careless comment posted in the excitement of the moment.

"That's enough for me to forgive a friend."

Mitcham wrote that the furore surrounding Rice's comments is "a wake up call" to parts of society "that they can easily offend without meaning to, eg. that's so gay".

"She's not a homophobe. She luvs gays but used very ill-chosen language," he wrote.

"I don't in any way support or condone WHAT she said, but her apology & remorse is genuine & we are gd friends."

Rice later apologised for the tweet.

Mitcham was only one of 11 openly gay athletes to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Despite winning a gold medal and having a relatively high profile, Mitcham initially struggled to secure corporate sponsorship.

But he claims the lack of support was more to do with the economic climate, not his sexuality.

He plans to compete in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

- © Fairfax NZ News