Olympian Gus Kenworthy has joined Team GB and the gay gods have truly blessed us
Gus Kenworthy speaks at the Life Ball 2018 international press conference at Albertina on June 2, 2018 in Vienna, Austria. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy has officially left the US Olympic team to join Team GB.
The out silver medallist, who was born in Essex to an English mother and American father, announced on Tuesday that he had switched his allegiance to the British ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
He revealed that the gesture would honour his mum, as he prepares to retire from the sport.
Gus Kenworthy: 2022 will be my last Olympics.
Kenworthy explained: “I am very excited to announce that I will be competing for Team GB on the road to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“Although I was raised in the US I was born in the UK and my mum is British through-and-through. She has been my #1 fan for my entire life and has proudly stood at the bottom of the mountain waving the stars and stripes in support of me for two Olympic cycles.
“Now, in what is sure to be my last Olympic appearance, I’d like to return the honour by proudly holding up the British flag for her.”
Gus Kenworthy attends IMDb LIVE At The Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards® Viewing Party on February 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)
The move cannily guarantees that Kenworthy will not have a repeat of his awkward run-ins with the Trump administration at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, which saw him vocally call out Ivanka Trump and vice president Mike Pence.
Of course, given the 2020 election will take place before the next Winter Olympics, it also denies him the prospect of a meeting with president Warren and vice president Buttigieg.
Olympian seeks a life beyond skiing.
Also key to the decision was Kenworthy’s pursuit of a post-skiing acting career, recently appearing in American Horror Story: 1984.
Kenworthy said: “During my downtime, it was important for me to take a step back and contemplate my next move and now that is resolved I am looking forward to training and getting in condition for the upcoming season.”
Vicky Gosling of GB Snowsport said: “When a world-renowned athlete like Gus makes himself available to compete for GB Snowsport it is really exciting, but we wanted assurances around Gus’ desire as his life outside snowsport has become much busier.
“We have met with Gus numerous times and found that we are completely on the same page. Gus understands that we have an incredibly talented squad and that means places are competitive.
“It is incredibly exciting to have him in our ranks and I think it goes to show the level that GB Snowsport has reached in a short space of time. The inclusion of Gus in our squad can only raise our level of performance and make us even more competitive.”
