Gus Kenworthy finishes 8th in World Cup final, another step toward 4th Olympics spot
Gus Kenworthy has positioned himself for a shot at skiing for Team Great Britain at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. The post Gus Kenworthy finishes 8th in World Cup final, another step toward 4th Olympics spot appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
Gus Kenworthy very well could be on the precipice of making his fourth Winter Olympics team, with one more major final under his belt before what will likely be decision day for Team Great Britain.
At the U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen, Kenworthy finished 8th in the final, a key top-10 finish, besting a few dozen other top competitors in the men’s halfpipe to earn a spot in the final.
Kenworthy is trying to make his fourth Winter Olympics after retiring and returning to the sport last year. If he can pull it off, it will be a huge accomplishment for the trailblazing skier who came out publicly as gay a decade ago.
Kenworthy made the final in Aspen by the slimmest of margins. He was sixth of the 21 competitors in Heat 1, with seven making the final. His score on his second run — 76.75 — was five points ahead of the skier who didn’t qualify.
He then finished eighth in the final, with a ton of Americans around him.
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Gus Kenworthy took a huge step toward the Milan Olympics with a big weekend
Gus Kenworthy took a huge step toward the the Milan Olympics with a top-5 finish in the IFS Grand Prix. It would be his fourth Winter Games.
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Yet here Gus Kenworthy is, the only Great Britain athlete in the final. The only other skier from Team GB at the event was Sam Gaskin, who finished last of the 40 athletes who started in the qualification round,
Between Gaskin and Kenworthy on the potential Olympics list for Team Great Britain is Liam Richards. In all likelihood, if Team GB allocates one of its spots fort he men’s halfpipe, it will be Kenworthy or Richards. For all we know, that decision has already been made.
On the Olympic Winter Games 2026 Eligibility List for Men’s Freestyle, Kenworthy is in fact listead ahead of Richards. On the current World Cup standings, Kenworthy is No. 13 and Richards is No. 25.
Exhausted yet?
Huge kudos to Kenworthy for everything he’s done to return to his sport, compete at a high level and put himself in the conversation for the Milan Winter Olympics.
With his solid finish this weekend in the men’s halfpipe final of the World Cup event in Aspen, his chances may take a huge leap forward less than four weeks before the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.
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The post Gus Kenworthy finishes 8th in World Cup final, another step toward 4th Olympics spot appeared first on Outsports.
