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Gay West Virginia Univ. diver Alex Obendorf back after car accident

Alex Obendorf talks about being gay for the first time in discussing Tom Daley and Matthew Mitcham.

By Cyd Zeigler
Univ. of West Virginia diver Alex Obendorf at the Mizzou Invitational
Univ. of West Virginia diver Alex Obendorf at the Mizzou Invitational
Erik Hall

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One of the most powerful pieces of the LGBT sports movement has been seeing athletes come out in unexpected areas: Alan Gendreau at Middle Tennessee State, two volleyball players in rural South Carolina, Jallen Messersmith at a religious school in Kansas.

Now Alex Obendorf adds his name to the growing list. The freshman diver for West Virginia University publicly talked about being gay for the first time in an interview with Columbia Missourian reporter Erik Hall. When talk turned to the Olympics, Obendorf was effusive about Tom Daley and Matthew Mitcham because he ha a similar style to theirs, and because he is also gay. From Hall:

"I like their form and everything," Obendorf said. "I'm pretty proud of them because I know that it's a hard thing to open up about, especially to the public as an Olympian. I am openly gay. I know where they come from."

Obendorf won All-American honors twice in high school, according to the Daily Athaneaum.

You can see Obendorf win a state championship in 2012 and talk about his big win:

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