Dan Jervis will compete once again for Team GB at an Olympic Games after his 1500m freestyle victory at the British Swimming Championships in London.
The Welshman, who came out publicly as gay in June 2022, won in a time of 14:47.94 Thursday night, comfortably inside the Paris 2024 qualification time of 14:54.29.
Jervis finished fifth at the delayed Games in Tokyo three years ago and will be raring to deliver on the biggest stage of all after a difficult last few years.
He said in the post-race interview: “I was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been.
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“If I’m honest, this right now is probably the best moment of my swimming career. I’m very fortunate, I’ve got an amazing support network – I’ve got my family, my friends, I’ve got my partner here.
“What a moment. I’m just so happy.”
Jervis’s dad was there to offer a hug and congratulations as he came out of the pool.
“My parents couldn’t support me more. I’m very blessed to have them. The last few months I’ve really found training hard. It’s been tough. I’m 27, I’m not 18 years old anymore. Training sessions hurt me.
“I would not be standing here if it weren’t for my coach Adam Baker, so thank you Adam and all the coaches in Swansea, and my team.”
Asked what his hopes were for Paris in July, he added: “I just want to enjoy it and I swim well when I enjoy it.”
It was the sixth consecutive time that Jervis has won the British 1500m title. He has bronze and silver medals from the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, but he did not enjoy a successful Birmingham 2022, having to withdraw.
‘I’ll love being out at the Olympics!’
He came out publicly via interviews with the BBC a few weeks before that moment, saying he wanted to be visible to inspire others to be their authentic selves in sports.
Just over a year ago, he told Attitude magazine that he had struggled for motivation in the months following Birmingham 2022, even considering retirement from swimming.
But he also enjoyed exploring a new world opening up for him after coming out, such as attending Manchester Pride — an experience he described as “phenomenal” — and taking part in other LGBTQ activations and events.
He cited his friend Michael Gunning — another out gay swimmer — as being a role model.
“When I looked at Michael, I could just see how proud he was,” he said.
“I wanted to be like him. What I liked about him was how much he helped me without him knowing. That’s what I wanted to do for someone else. I messaged him, and he messaged back. He really helped me through that experience.”
The two were reunited poolside Thursday. Gunning, who swam for Team GB and Jamaica, has now retired from international competition but has been at the London Aquatics Centre this week hosting events and promoting inclusion in swimming.
Jervis also joined another out British Olympian, curler Bruce Mouat, for a Pride Month interview for Team GB’s website and social channels last year.
“When I went to the Olympics in Tokyo, I was not openly gay and only certain people knew. I don’t regret anything in terms of my coming out journey but part of me does wish that I had gone to that Olympics being me,” he said.
“It’s a world stage and so many people are watching you, so to be able to have gone to that Olympic Games and have stood on that block with everyone watching back home knowing that I was truly being myself, I can’t get that back for Tokyo but I’ll now be able to have that for Paris.”
He added: “Now, when I go to Paris, I’m going to love the fact that being gay will be a big part of it.”
Other out gay and bi male athletes known to have so far qualified or secured quota spots for Paris 2024 include New Zealand rower Robbie Manson, Australian climber Campbell Harrison, gold-medal winning diver Tom Daley and Irish taekwondo star Jack Woolley.
At Tokyo 2020, only three swimmers in the men’s competitions were out — Amini Fonua, Ari-Pekka Liukkonen, and Markus Thormeyer. In total at those Olympics, just 17 of the over 180 out LGBTQ athletes were men.
Welsh fans in particular are sure to be out in force in the French capital to cheer Jervis on. Resolven, a community of around 2,000 people located between the cities of Swansea and Cardiff, is where he calls home.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if my village has buses going to Paris to watch!” he told Mouat last summer. The LGBTQ community is sure to be giving Jervis its full support too.
Related
Olympic swimmer Dan Jervis comes out, wants to be visible gay athlete at the Commonwealth Games
Dan Jervis chose to come out just a month before one of his biggest races of the year.
By Cyd Zeigler | June 29, 2022
