Gus Kenworthy is going to the other side of the pond to ski another Olympic season.
Kenworthy is a British-American freestyle skier, actor, and YouTuber who has seen major success in the entertainment/mainstream media world. But the world of sports and athletics will always be home to the Olympic silver medalist… no matter where he’s participating in it. And now, it appears that place is changing.
News is breaking that Kenworthy is attempting to compete with Team Great Britain for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Kenworthy’s reasoning for this switchover could be twofold. First, he would have a “smoother” time making the cut for the British team than the American team. That said, he also shared, with his announcement, that he hopes to do his British mother proud.
“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 honor by proudly holding up the British flag for her.”
But for Kenworthy, this announcement also comes with a somber realization. This may be his very last time at the Olympics as an athletic competitor.
As he told the BBC, “I think for sure 2022 is my final Olympic Games and I decided I wanted to do it for my mum. I have no doubt in my mind that I could go back for the US but this is definitely going to be a much smoother approach for me. This gives me a path where I’m not taking a place away from one of my friends in the US.”
