Out skier Gus Kenworthy said in an
Instagram post that while he's disappointed that he did not medal at
the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, being out is its own
reward.
Kenworthy came out in an ESPN The
Magazine cover story shortly after he won a silver medal in
slopestyle skiing at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. In South Korea,
he's one of two openly gay athletes on Team USA. The other athlete
is figure skater Adam Rippon.
Two injuries, a broken thumb and a
hematoma on his hip from an earlier fall, sidelined Kenworthy at
Sunday's finals.
Kenworthy took it all in stride, saying
that being out during his second Olympics was more fulfilling than
medaling in Sochi, where he was closeted.
“I failed to land my run in the final
and didn't end up on the podium but, for me, the Olympics aren't
solely about the medals. Being here now, out and proud and living my
life authentically, I'm walking away more fulfilled without a medal
than I did at the last Games with one,” Kenworthy told fans.
“Of course I would've loved to have
landed my run and been on the podium but it just wasn't my day. After
years of preparation, countless hours of training and numerous
injuries it's all over in a flash. At every contest there are three
winners and a field of non-winners. This is the Olympics though and
nobody here loses. Everybody gave it their best effort, fought hard,
endured and made their country, their family, their friends and their
fans proud. I'm holding my head high knowing that I gave it my all.
I'm proud of what I did here and all those I was representing in the
process and I'm very happy for @oysteinbraten, @nickgaper and
@abmskier for walking away with medals. I may have worked tirelessly
to get here but so did they and I'm proud of them for putting it down
when it counts,” he added.