New Zealand rower Robbie Manson has qualified for his second Summer Olympic Games. He and rowing partner Chris Harris will compete in the men's double event. Manson and Harris won bronze at the 2015 World Championships, putting them right in contention for a medal in Rio. The bronze had earned New Zealand a spot in the Olympics, and this latest announcement confirms Manson and Harris will fill that boat.
Manson posted his reaction to the announcement on Facebook:
It’s official!!!Chris and I have been selected to represent New Zealand in the Double at the Rio Olympics in August …
Posted by Robbie Manson on Thursday, March 3, 2016
You can also find Manson on Twitter.
Manson is the second out gay man to qualify for the Rio Olympics, following Tom Daley. Both men competed while in the closet at the 2012 London Olympics.
As you can see in the picture above, Manson has taken to wearing a rainbow headband while rowing. It's a nod to the LGBT community, much like out gay skier Gus Kenworthy's recent unveiling of his rainbow ski goggles, produced by Nike.
Incidentally, Manson has taken after Kenworthy in another way, posting naked butt shots of himself on Instagram. We're not complaining…
