Why Gus Kenworthy Is Glad He Didn't Come Out At The Sochi Olympics

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Gus Kenworthy was widely praised for opening up about his sexuality in an October ESPN Magazine cover story, but the 24-year-old Olympian had originally considered a different, more dramatic approach.  

On Monday, the professional freeskier told Conan O'Brien that he'd thought about coming out as gay in a very public way at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he nabbed a silver medal. 

"Leading into the Russian Olympics there was all this anti-LGBT legislature and they had warned people about, like, if you’re gay, or if any of the athletes are gay, like, try not to show it because it’s very unsafe, it’s not accepted," he said. "And I was like, 'That’s bullsh*t!'" 

Kenworthy, who had a boyfriend at the time, noted: 

"[We] had kind of talked about landing the best run ever and winning an Olympic gold medal and kissing him at the bottom and… that would be my way of telling everyone. But it didn’t happen. I’m glad it didn’t because I hadn’t told my mom, my dad, my brothers. It would have not only been a shock to the sport and to the Olympics, but my family would have been like, 'What the hell?'" 

Instead, Kenworthy told his family and close friends before coming out publicly in the ESPN magazine interview. He told Conan that he's felt "massive" relief in the time since then. 

"I was really nervous, but everyone, for the most part, has been so great," he said. "It just makes me feel really good." 

No matter what path you chose, Gus, we're just proud to see you being authentically you. 

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