Gus Kenworthy switches from USA to GBR ahead of Beijing 2022
Dec 04, 2019·Freeski Park & Pipe
GB Snowsports announced today that Sochi 2014 slopestyle silver medallist Gus Kenworthy will be switching allegiances from the USA to Great Britain ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, which Kenworthy has stated will be his last.
One of the most recognized names in freeskiing, Kenworthy has seven World Cup podiums, Sierra Nevada 2017 world championships slopestyle silver, and five X Games podiums to go along with his Sochi 2014 Olympic silver.
The USA has an aboundance of top-level freeskiing talent and, as a result, has a notoriously difficult Olympic qualification process for their athletes. Coming off of two challenging season in which a slew of injuries has lead to a lack of competition reps and a drop-off in his results when competing, Kenworthy has cited the clearer path to Olympic qualification as one of the reasons for his decision to join the GB Snowsport squad.
The other reason he cites is familial. Kenworthy was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and his mother is a UK national. As he holds dual citizenship, the transition from one nation to another is a relatively straightforward process for the 28-year-old, and his application for the switch has already been accepted by FIS with immediate effect. Should he qualify for the Games in any or all of the slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air events as per his goal, the desire to compete for the nation of his maternal line is a strong motivation.
The GB Snowsports press release expressed in detail Kenworthy's inspiration for the move:
“This is a great opportunity for me to start again and compete in three events in 2022. I have strong roots in the UK and have been close with many of the athletes. For me, this is an incredible opportunity to join a first-class team and I believe we will be able to deliver great results.
'I am also doing this for my mother who was born and lived in the UK for much of her life - she has always been my greatest supporter throughout my career. She taught me to ski when I was three years old and is the reason I compete today. It’s great to now be representing GB - a country which means so much to me and my family.
'During my downtime, it was important for me to take a step back and contemplate my next move and now that is resolved I am looking forward to training and getting in condition for the upcoming season.”
Vicky Gosling, Chief Executive Officer of GB Snowsport said: “When a world-renowned athlete like Gus makes himself available to compete for GB Snowsport it is really exciting, but we wanted assurances around Gus’ desire as his life outside snowsport has become much busier.
‘We have met with Gus numerous times and found that we are completely on the same page. Gus understands that we have an incredibly talented squad and that means places are competitive.
‘It is incredibly exciting to have him in our ranks and I think it goes to show the level that GB Snowsport has reached in a short space of time. The inclusion of Gus in our squad can only raise our level of performance and make us even more competitive.”
Kenworthy's Sochi silver was part of an iconic USA sweep of the podium at the debut of freeski slopestyle on the world's stage, where he joined his compatriots Joss Christensen (gold) and Nick Goepper (bronze) on the podium.
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