Winter dreamboat Gus Kenworthy is officially set to come out of retirement and have another go at the slopes in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy.
Originally known for earning silver for Team USA (and rescuing stray dogs off the street) in 2014’s Sochi Olympics, the out gay British-American skier has his eyes on the prize again this year. This time around, in Cortina, Kenworthy will be representing Team GB. He learned of his inclusion on the team in a phone call from Pat Sharples, head snow-sport coach for Team GB. “I want you to be the first to congratulate you for being selected,” he was heard telling Kenworthy in a video posted to the skier’s Instagram page.
Kenworthy, although having previously retired from competitive sports a few years back, recently seemed to renege when he participated in the Copper Mountain U.S. Grand Prix, a competitive event held in Aspen earlier in January. There, Kenworthy placed fourth in the men’s halfpipe free-ski, allowing him to qualify for Team GB in this year’s Winter Olympics.
Previously at the 2018 Winter Olympics, despite not winning any medals, Kenworthy received notice in the media for sharing a kiss with at-the-time boyfriend Matthew Wilkas before hitting the slopes on live primetime television. The kiss was broadcast live on NBC, and although the pair were not intending to cause a spectacle by kissing, the moment was noted by several prominent queer figures in the media and lauded in the media as an inclusivity win for gay athletes.
The renewed focus of Kenworthy’s on going for the gold in Slopestyle at this year’s Olympics follows what appeared on his Instagram to be quite the Brat summer he had here in the U.S., chock full of raucous house parties attended with other hunky, heartthrob-y gays. The Slopestyle event in which Kenworthy is set to participate in will commence in mid-February.
Photo courtesy of social media
