Gus Kenworthy makes promising bid for 2025 Milan Winter Olympics after brief retirement
"One step closer to Milan 2026," says Kenworthy
By Aaron Sugg
Gus Kenworthy finished fourth in the men’s freestyle halfpipe final and placed sixth overall across the full field after qualifying at the Copper Grand Prix, in a promising bid for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
After a rough first run in the final, the freestyle skier, who is gay, rebounded with the fourth-best run, making him Team GB’s top halfpipe skier.
Kenworthy has already met key Olympic qualification requirements, including earning 50 FIS points and securing a top-30 finish.
“One step closer to Milan 2026” – Gus Kenworthy is a frontrunner to compete in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics
The British silver-medal Olympian competed for Team USA in 2014 and 2018, before switching to Team Great Britain in 2022. He came out publicly in 2015, becoming one of the first openly gay male Winter Olympians.
Bringing his dog to the Copper Grand Prix, Kenworthy posted on Instagram about finishing fourth: “It was bring your daughter to work day,” he joked.
“At this weekend’s US Grand Prix, I may have ended up in fourth place, but Birdie dominated the broadcast coverage, so overall it felt like a win. One step closer to Milan 2026,” he added.
“I’m honoured (and honestly just pretty gagged)” – Kenworthy on coming third in skiing competition, the Snow League
Kenworthy stepped away from competitive skiing in 2022 after the Beijing Winter Olympics, before making his comeback two weeks ago at the Snow League – his first professional event in four years.
Finishing third, he marked the milestone on Instagram: “I had a lot of luck on my side yesterday with how things ended up shaking out with the brackets, but regardless, I’m really happy with how I skied at my first event in four years, and I’m honoured (and honestly just pretty gagged) to be back up on the podium!”
In the lead-up to the Milan Winter Olympics, which begin on 6 February 2026, Kenworthy is set to compete in an upcoming World Cup event in Calgary in early January, in one final push to secure qualification.
Olympic viewers may also recognise the skier from several TV shows, including American Horror Story, starring as camp councillor Chet Clancy in season 9, 1984 making his on-screen debut.
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