There's no hotter rivalry than the Olympics!
2026 is off to a very gay start thanks to the mainstream success of Heated Rivalry and Gus Kenworthy's exciting announcement that he's coming out of retirement to officially compete for Team Great Britain at the Olympic Winter Games.
"I'm excited to go back for a fourth Games and to represent not only Great Britain, but the queer community and make them proud. My first Games, in 2014, in the closet, was the catalyst for me to want to come out. The Olympics is an integral part of my identity in the same way being gay is," Kenworthy tells PRIDE.
The timing of Kenworthy's return to the Olympics couldn't be better, as he recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his public coming out back in October.
Since then, LGBTQ+ representation at the Olympics has grown tremendouslyas 41 out queer athletes are competing in this year's Winter Games.
"Each and every time someone comes out, it's a smoke signal for someone else. I think it's indicative of the times being safer for athletes to be able to live their truth. There's a lot more representation than there ever has been, but at the same time, it's pretty unrepresented. In certain sports, there's not been anyone that's been out in the professional level still. We've come a really long way, but we still have a long way to go."
Beyond the incredible queer visibility amongst the competitors, Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams kicked off this year's Winter Games by serving as the official Milan torchbearers.
"It's pretty crazy. It's super exciting! It's such a moment right now in pop culture. It's very cool to see it be celebrated, especially on a main stage like the Olympics, which is not necessarily queer-centric or queer-specific. For their show to be uplifted and celebrated is awesome."
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games begin Friday, February 6, in Italy. To see the full interview with Gus Kenworthy, check out the video at the top of the page.
