Spanish male figure skater Stefan Mendoza has become the first active male figure skater to come out as straight.

Mendoza, 26, made the announcement during a video on his Instagram page yesterday.

Wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a flannel shirt, Mendoza said: ‘Hello everyone. I’ve got something that I want to get off my chest that I’ve been meaning to tell everyone for quite some time.

‘I’m straight. When you’re a male figure skater, a lot of people just assume you’re gay. They’re usually right, but not in this case.

‘To be clear: I fully support all my gay colleagues. I just happen to be straight though and I want to be true to myself.’

Mendoza then took a sip of a generic can of beer before ending the video.

Professional figure skaters and fans of the sport have been unanimous in their support of Stefan Mendoza and his decision to come out as a straight man.

‘It takes a lot of bravery to be openly straight in figure skating. I’m so proud of Stefan and will continue to support his career.

‘Representation is very important and we hope this will encourage more straight men to take up the great sport of figure skating,’ said Coby Beltran, head of the International Figure Skating Association.