Scottish curling star Bruce Mouat is heading into the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with medals on his mind and something bigger on his heart.
In a candid new interview with BBC, Mouat reflected on how tough it felt early on to carry the pressure of sport while also quietly wrestling with his sexuality.
He described coming out as a difficult period, but also a turning point that ultimately helped him feel freer, happier, and more settled in himself.
That shift, he’s said elsewhere as well, didn’t just change his personal life, it changed his performance too, because hiding takes energy and honesty gives it back.
Mouat has become one of the most visible out gay men in winter sport, and he’s clear that visibility matters because younger athletes still need to see proof that they can belong.
He has spoken about how, when he was younger, there were fewer openly gay male athletes to look up to, and that absence can make you feel like you’re walking a path alone.
Now he wants the next generation to feel something different: supported, confident, and able to focus on their talent instead of on staying quiet.
The timing is meaningful because Milano Cortina 2026 is a huge moment for him competitively, with Great Britain aiming high in curling once again.
He already has Olympic experience, including an Olympic silver medal, and he’s been open about how he’s still hungry for the top step of the podium.
In the build-up to the Games, he’s also spoken about the work that happens away from the cameras, where routines, preparation, and mental sharpness are built day by day.
And while the sport storyline is all grit and precision, the personal storyline is also about love, steadiness, and having someone in your corner.
Mouat’s boyfriend, Craig Kyle, has become a familiar and much-loved part of his public life, and the two have been increasingly visible together as Mouat’s profile has grown.
Kyle has spoken about how his own “coming out” became unexpectedly public when he was seen supporting Mouat on television, and it turned into a moment of pride rather than panic.
For fans, their relationship has become one of those quietly powerful reminders that elite sport isn’t just about results, it’s also about the human beings living inside the headlines.
That matters in curling, a sport where team chemistry is everything and where calm support can be as valuable as any technical edge.
It also matters for LGBTQ+ audiences who don’t always get to see winter sports feel emotionally accessible in the way other cultural spaces do.
Mouat’s message, across interviews and athlete features, keeps circling back to the same idea: authenticity is not a distraction from excellence, it can be part of what makes excellence possible.
With Milano Cortina approaching, he’s positioning himself not only as a medal contender, but as a visible reminder that being gay and being fiercely competitive are not conflicting identities.
And if you’re posting a photo of Bruce and Craig together, it lands perfectly with what this story is really about: a champion chasing gold while also living openly, loved loudly, and supported fully.
📷 IG: @ brucemouat / craig_thebagel