Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy told the AP
this week that he's okay with being “The Gay Skier.”
At the 2014 Sochi Games, Kenworthy took
home a silver medal. A few months later, he announced his sexuality
in an ESPN the Magazine cover story.
With the Winter Olympics around the
corner, Kenworthy is seeking spots on both the slopestyle and
halfpipe U.S. teams.
As he sets his sights on his next trip
to the Olympics, next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Kenworthy
says the stakes are higher this time.
“I've got more eyeballs on me,”
Kenworthy
told the AP. “My platform's a lot bigger. I signed a bunch of
Olympic sponsors and I have the LGBT audience watching me, and I want
to do right by them.”
The 26-year-old Kenworthy added that
he's okay being “The Gay Skier.”
“I'm definitely 'The Gay Skier' now,
and that's OK,” he said. “I knew I was stepping into that role
when I did it. In some ways, I don't care that that's the label that
sticks. I took the step to come out publicly and I wear the badge
proudly.”
(Related: Gus
Kenworthy says he'll refuse Trump White House invite: 'No interest in
faking support.')