Ricky Martin "happy" Ian Thorpe has come out as gay

Puerto Rican popstar Ricky Martin has expressed his pride after Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe revealed that he is gay.

The Australian athlete opened up about his sexuality during a Channel 10 interview with British TV host Michael Parkinson.

Thorpe, who has won five Olympic medals during his career, previously denied that he was gay, but has now admitted that he feels comfortable being honest about his sexual orientation.

Openly-gay singer Martin is rumoured to have played a role in Thorpe's decision to publicly come out, but the 42-year-old refused to confirm or deny reports during a promotional event in Melbourne for The Voice.

"I am extremely happy that he is talking about his happiness, and that is where I would like to leave it," the Daily Mail quotes Martin as saying.

The performer also expressed his support to Thorpe on Twitter after the swimmer decided to come out on television.

Congrats @IanThorpe! Brave man! Happy for you! Millions appreciate what you've done! Proud of you! #SelfLove

— Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) July 13, 2014