Gus Kenworthy says Heated Rivalry mirrored his experience

Gus Kenworthy told The New Yorker that the series Heated Rivalry’s portrayal of closeted athletes moved him and echoed his own years hiding relationships, and he will compete for Team GB at the Milan Olympics.

British American freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy said the TV series Heated Rivalry reminded him of his own years hiding relationships as an athlete and that he was deeply moved by the show’s depiction of closeted queer sportspeople. Kenworthy, who came out publicly in 2015 and won Olympic silver in Sochi, spoke about the series in a New Yorker Q&A ahead of his fourth Olympic Games in Milan. He singled out the episode focusing on the character Scott Hunter and said he reached out to the show’s creator after watching. Kenworthy also noted his recent acting roles and joked that he could appear in a future season because he played hockey in high school. Key details: - Gus Kenworthy is a British American Olympic freestyle skier who publicly came out in 2015 and won a silver medal in men’s slopestyle at the Sochi Games. - He told The New Yorker that Heated Rivalry’s depiction of closeted athletes “moved” him and echoed his own experiences of secret relationships and public scrutiny. - Kenworthy said he felt represented by the episode centered on the Scott Hunter character and sent a message to the series creator, Jacob Tierney. - He is preparing to compete for Team GB at the Milan Olympics and described staging a comeback for those Games. - Heated Rivalry, which streams in the U.S. on HBO Max and is a hit on Crave Canada, has prompted public discussions about masculinity in elite sports and increased attention on closeted athletes. Summary: Kenworthy’s reaction highlights how the series has resonated with some athletes who have concealed same-sex relationships, and the show has helped prompt broader conversations about masculinity in sport. He will compete in Milan for Team GB, and any further involvement with the series beyond his remark and a joking offer to appear in Season 2 is undetermined at this time.