Gus Kenworthy is this close to once again making the U.S. Olympic team as we inch towards the 2018 Winter Olympic games in South Korea.
On Sunday at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen Snowmass, Colorado,Gus proves he still has what it takes as he took first place in the fourth of six qualifying events for the 2018 U.S. Olympic team in slopestyle skiing.
He competed against Nick Goepper, who both won medals in at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi (Gus won Silver, Nick won Bronze). Nick led for almost two-thirds of the final, his 93.60 score on his first run keeping him atop the leaderboard as skier after skier completed their second runs.
When it came time for Gus' second run, however, he outperformed Nick with a final score a 95.40. Nick and the rest of the field couldn’t top that in their third runs, giving Gus his first victory in an Olympic selection event.
It was a momentous moment for Gus as well, as it marked his first slopestyle win in almost two years. He won the European Freeski Open in March 2016.
Now, both Gus and Nick will have two more chances to earn their spots in PyeongChang. Best of luck to both!