Gus Kenworthy is training for a 2026 Winter Olympics comeback.
Back in February 2022, the 33-year-old athlete announced his retirement from skiing after competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics under Team GB.
During his first two runs, Kenworthy experienced two intense crashes, one resulting in him falling on the lip of the pipe. However, in the third round, he made a comeback and earned a score of 71.25 – which landed him in eighth place.
“The final hurrah. My swan song. I’m done, I’m done competing. I’ve had a career that I’m really, really proud of,” he said in a statement to Olympics.com at the time.
Over the last three years, Kenworthy has kept busy with other career endeavours, like acting and modelling.
However, on 12 May, the American Horror Story star revealed to ESPN that he was officially coming out of retirement to train for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
“After taking a step away, I realised I miss skiing, and I really want to compete again,” he told the sports news outlet. “I didn’t know if I would be able to after seven and a half. So, it’s this Olympics or nothing. I’m never going to have this opportunity again.”
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Elsewhere in his interview, Kenworthy gave insight into his brief retirement, revealing that he never stopped thinking about skiing.
“I would be out at a party, and someone would be like, ‘What do you do now?’ And I wouldn’t know how to answer. Saying anything other than, ‘I’m a professional skier,’ felt wrong coming out of my mouth. It was weird to navigate. I felt depressed at times. I felt a loss of my sense of identity,” he explained.
The star went on to say that he started contemplating a return to the sport last summer. However, before going forward with his comeback, the talented athlete had to work through some of his initial worries, like the potential head or bodily injuries he could suffer.
Months before the 2022 Olympics, the Will & Grace star was put through the wringer, suffering two concussions during training and testing positive for COVID-19.
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While he labelled a potential head injury as his “biggest fear,” Kenworthy isn’t letting his anxiety get the best of him.
“I’m scared, but it’s like any risk. You do what you can to try and mitigate the risks and perform as safely as possible,” he told the sports publication.
Towards the end of his sit-down, Kenworthy revealed that the head coach of Team GB has supported his return and 2026 Olympics goals.
However, due to the team having “zero budget” for him, the Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead star is responsible for funding his own travel and coaching.
Fortunately, the Coming Out Colton star hasn’t let his circumstances get him down.
“I feel pretty good about my chances if I’m able to stay healthy,” he told ESPN.
In order to make Team GB’s 2026 Olympics roster, Kenworthy will need to place within the top 30% of at least two of the four World Cup events he is scheduled to compete in.
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