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(Alex Brandon/AP)" loadg="lazy"/></picture></a><figptn class="article-fig-ptn">Nick Symmonds ns durg the Penn Relays athletics meet, April 28, 2012, Philalphia. (Alex Brandon/AP)</figptn></figure><p class=""><strong>Nick Symmonds</strong> is one of the bt 800-meter nners the world. He brought a silver medal home om the World Track and Field Champnships Mosw this summer, when he fished send to Ethpian teenager Mohammed Aman the fal. Symmonds also fished 5th the 800-meter fal the Olympics London 2012. That was one of the fastt rac ever over that distance. Symmond's time — 1:42:95 — was a personal bt and would have been good enough for a medal every other Olympic 800-meter fal the history of the gam. But the wner of that race, David Rudisha, jt happened to set a world rerd.</p><blockquote class="article-pullquote breakout"><p class="article-pullquote-text">"Too often, athlet go to a prs nference and are asked difficult qutns and they say 'no ment.'"</p></blockquote><p class="">Today Nick Symmonds has his sights set on the 2016 gam R Janeiro. "That would be my third Olympic team," he tells <em><a href=">Here & Now'</a></em>s Meghna Chakrabarti. "I have the speed there, I jt need to have shake out for me the fals. Fishg send Mosw proved to me that I n get done. I jt have to stay healthy, ntue workg closely wh my ach and — if I n make the team 2016 — and hopefully e home wh a medal, an Olympic medal."</p><p class="">Symmonds don't only make wav on the track. He's also outspoken on hot button social issu like gay rights and gun ntrol. In Mosw, he dited his silver medal to his gay and lbian iends as a prott agast Rsia's anti-gay laws. And recently Symmonds wrote a <a href=" target="_blank">lumn Runner's World</a>, which he lled on Congrs to ban asslt weapons and handguns for everyone but police and ary personnel. This stance om someone who grew up around guns a huntg fay.</p><p class="">He says he tak some heat om other athlet for his outspoken opns, but he's not apologizg for exprsg them. "Too often, athlet go to a prs nference and are asked difficult qutns and they say 'no ment' and I never wanted to be that kd of athlete. I have opns on everythg and I have logil reasons why I have e to those nclns and I'll tell you why I feel that way."</p><p class="">There has been some talk of athlet boyttg the upg wter Olympics Rsia, but Symmonds don't agree. "What I would advote for is the athlet g together and a meangful way displayg their displeasure wh the law. I felt that the way I did [ Mosw] was rpectful enough, but at the same time I was able to e that platform that I was given to voice my displeasure at the way they were tryg to ntrol their people."</p><div class=""><div class="article-sectn--youtube article-sectn--embed wiscreen"><div class="youtube" id="yt-embed-3"><picture><img src="></picture><div class="play-button"></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="article-sectn--youtube article-sectn--embed wiscreen"><div class="youtube" id="yt-embed-4"><picture><img src="></picture><div class="play-button"></div></div></div></div><span><h3>Gut</h3></span><span><ul> <li><strong><a href=" target="_blank">Nick Symmonds</a></strong>, Olympic nner. He tweets <a href=" target="_blank">@NickSymmonds</a>.</li></ul></span></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><p class=""><em>This segment aired on November 21, 2013.</em></p></sectn></article><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/alex-ashlock"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/alex-ashlock">Alex Ashlock</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Producer, Here & Now</span><br/>Alex Ashlock was a producer for Here & Now sce 2005. He started his WBUR reer as senr producer of Morng Edn 1998.</p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/alex-ashlock">More…</a></p></div></div></sectn><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-250450"></div></div></div></div></sectn><div></div><div class="global-d-ponents onmand--is-playg"><div class="global-player"><d preload="to"></d><div class="global-player-bar"><div class="global-player-bar-left"><button class="global-player-bar-ntrol"><i class="in-play in-play--global-player-bar in-play--psed"><span class="in-play-shape"><span class="in-label" data-note="for-screen-rears">Rume</span></span></i></button><div class="global-player-label global-player-label--live"><div class="global-player-channel"><span>Listen Live</span></div><div class="global-player-tle"><a class="global-player-label-lk" href="/">Loadg...</a></div></div></div><div class="global-player-bar-right"><div class="global-player-x"><svg class="in in-close" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Close

nick symmonds gay

Amerin distance nner Nick Symmonds dited his silver medal w the 800-meters at the World Champnships Mosw to his gay and lbian iends

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U.S. NNER NICK SYMMONDS, GAY RIGHTS CHAMPN, TO RETIRE

The state news agency said Nick Symmonds beme the first athlete to cricize Rsia's ntroversial anti-gay law. Symmonds said he believed every human "serv equaly." * nick symmonds gay *

Middle distance nner Nick Symmonds has always been one of my favore athlet for not beg aaid to speak out on a host of issu, pecially his support for gay rights.

In 2013, after Rsia had passed a seri of anti-gay laws, Symmonds won a silver medal the 800 meters at the World Track Champnships beg held Mosw. “But when I was out Rsia and saw firsthand how gays were treated, the streets and beg shoved to the ground jt for kissg one another or holdg hands, the amount of hatred and tolerance that was actually out there, I said this is jt so wrong. “I would say that beg openly gay track and field is gog to be a tough road at tim.

But we need people to bravely e out and show people that jt bee you're gay don't mean you n't n fast. But ultimately the biggt thg we n do is have role mols who are gay the sports we like to look up to.

IN MOSW, AMERIN RUNNER DEDIT HIS MEDAL TO GAY FRIENDS

<p>Runner dit silver medal to gay and lbian iends at home durg world athletics champnships</p> * nick symmonds gay *

Olympic sprter and renowned LGBTQ, who protted Rsia’s anti-gay laws, by ditg his silver medal to gay fans, has surprised many clarg Semenya should not be able to n agast women. In a 2014 terview wh Outsports, Nick Symmonds explaed why he supports gay rights and the importance of out gay role mols sports.

US ATHLETE NICK SYMMONDS SPEAKS OUT AGAST RSIA'S ANTI-GAY LAW MOSW

Amerin nner Nick Symmonds beme the first foreign athlete to cricize Rsia's new anti-gay law on Rsian soil shortly after wng a silver medal at the World Athletics Champnships Mosw. * nick symmonds gay *

“For me, ’s not that I’m so pro-gay marriage.

OLYMPIC NNER NICK SYMMONDS ON WHY HE SUPPORTS GAY RIGHTS AND ADVICE FOR ATHLET SOCHI

Amerin Olympic track star Nick Symmonds won queer hearts the world over earlier this week when he dited his silver medal on anti-gay Rsian soil to * nick symmonds gay *

I would be fe if the ernment said that gay people nnot marry, but that se they have to say that heterosexuals n’t marry eher. This week, Chand me out as gay. Instead, the news beme Symmonds' ditn of his medal to his gay and lbian iends.

AMERIN RUNNER WS RSIA, CRICIZ ANTI-GAY LAW

* nick symmonds gay *

The official state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the middle distance nner beme the first athlete "to openly cricize Rsia's ntroversial anti-gay law on the untry's soil. "Whether you're gay, straight, black, whe, we all serve the same rights. " Rsia has been gettg a lot of cricism after passed laws crimalizg "homosexual propaganda.

"Nobody's more offend than me by some of the anti-gay and -lbian legislatn that we've been seeg Rsia. "If I am placed a race wh a Rsian athlete, I will shake his hand, thank him for his untry's genero hospaly, and then, after kickg his ass the race, silently dite the w to my gay and lbian iends back home. US nner Nick Symmonds beme the first ternatnal athlete to nounce Rsia's law agast "gay propaganda" on the untry's soil after wng a medal at the world athletics champnships Mosw.

NICK SYMMONDS BLASTS RSIA ON GAY RIGHTS AT MOSW TRACK CHAMPNSHIP

U.S. Athlete Is Our Hero For Deditg Silver Medal W In Rsia To Gays * nick symmonds gay *

Symmonds dited his silver medal the 800m on Tuday to his gay and lbian iends at home and lled for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr equaly, news agenci reported.

He ma ternatnal news this past Augt after wng the silver medal at the World Track and Field Champnships Mosw, then ditg his medal to his gay fans as a way to prott Rsia's new anti-gay laws.

I was foced on why he has bee such an outspoken champn of gay rights. As [gay rights] beme more and more an issue, my fay and I had discsns about how we felt about this.

RSIA, SCRAP YOUR ANTI-GAY LAWS

Rsia’s ntroversial anti-gay propaganda law has sparked the “fg civil rights movement of our time” acrdg to U.S. athlete Nick Symmonds. * nick symmonds gay *

For me, 's not that I'm so pro-gay marriage. I would be fe if the ernment said that gay people nnot marry, but that se they have to say that heterosexuals n't marry eher. I've had gay iends growg up.

NICK SYMMONDS DEDIT SILVER MEDAL TO GAY FRIENDS; SAYS HE COULDN'T REMA SILENT

U.S. Olympics Star Slams Rsia's Anti-Gay Law * nick symmonds gay *

Gog to a Catholic high school Boise, of urse my gay iends weren't out necsarily. As I got to llege [Willamette Universy Oregon] and moved to more liberal Oregon, I had many out gay iends.

Gay and straight people are all the same, so why they would they be treated differently the ey of the ernment, I never unrstood. Outsports: You also spoke out agast the Boy Suts of Ameri and their stand on gay suts and sut lears. Nick Symmonds: It really started when I was readg an article on how the Boy Suts of Ameri were discrimatg agast gay suts and lears and as an Eagle Sut I was really shocked.

NICK SYMMONDS DEDIT SILVER MEDAL W IN RSIA TO GAYS

"Whether you're gay, straight, black, whe, we all serve the same rights," the Amerin nner says after takg silver at the 800 meters at world track champnships Mosw. * nick symmonds gay *

Outsports: They are now allowg young gay suts, but you n't be a sut lear and be openly Symmonds: I thk that's absurd. Outsports: After you won the silver medal Mosw, you publicly dited your medal to to gay fans. Yet days before, you wrote that even though you opposed Rsia's anti-gay laws, you would rema silent out of urty.

But when I was out Rsia and saw firsthand how gays were treated, the streets and beg shoved to the ground jt for kissg one another or holdg hands, the amount of hatred and tolerance that was actually out there, I said this is jt so wrong. Nick Symmonds: I spoke wh some gay Rsians there who said that their own experience, the way they are beg treated currently is worse than the way they were treated unr munist le, which I thk is tellg. I believe I said my origal blog for "Runner's World" that when I feated a Rsian on the track, I would silently dite to my gay iends back home.

' I said no, what I'd like to do is dite this medal to all my gay and lbian iends back home.

NICK SYMMONDS, U.S. OLYMPICS RUNNER, SLAMS RSIA'S ANTI-GAY LAW

Amerin nner Nick Symmonds spoke out agast Rsia's "anti-gay propaganda" laws after wng a silver medal at the World Champnships Tuday Mosw. * nick symmonds gay *

I thk that we n fd ways to have our voic heard and still get our jobs done as profsnal I me out and protted the anti-gay propaganda laws of Rsia, everyone said thank you for takg a stand. Outsports: You are of a generatn where gay rights are wily accepted, cludg same-sex marriage. Yet at the 2012 London Gam, only 23 athlet were openly gay or lbian, three of them men.

RUNNER NICK SYMMONDS DIT WORLD TRACK SILVER MEDAL RSIA TO HIS GAY, LBIAN IENDS

Why do you thk gay athlet do not e out publicly at greater numbers sports?

Nick Symmonds: The sportg field is still a field where beg openly gay or supportg gay rights is still somewhat taboo. Those that are gay and rea om sharg publicly, I thk a lot of that has to do wh the fact that they're aaid of ostracizg fans or potentially losg sponsors. Many athlet have sponsors that are n by nservativ and the sponsors uld pull out if they felt they had differg views on polics, pecially gay marriage.

AMERIN RUNNER DEDIT MOSW SILVER MEDAL TO HIS GAY FRIENDS AMID RSIA'S ANTI-GAY CRACKDOWN

Do you thk would be acceptg of openly gay petors? If someone were to e out as openly gay the sport of track and field, I thk certaly among the younger generatn there will be overwhelmg support for .

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* NICK SYMMONDS GAY

Opn: Rsia, scrap your anti-gay laws | CNN .

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