Team GB’s freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, who came eighth in the men’s halfpipe final, was competing at his third and final Olympics.
Gus Kenworthy in action during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park. Photo by Sam Mellish / Team GB
Gus previously competed for the USA by qualifying through his American father, but he also has an English mother and was born in Essex which enabled him to switch to the GB team.
During his second run he suffered a heavy fall but picked himself up to record a good score on his third and final run.
Gus said: “I had a pretty bad slam. I was feeling sore and knew that my third run was going to be my last contest run ever and that was my motivation.
“I dug deep and was able to put it down, but it was pretty loose and windy, it wasn’t the run I wanted to do but I was grateful to make it down in one piece and end on my feet.
“I was still planning on doing a switch double on the second to last hit, I felt the wind as I was coming into it. That happened in my first run and I fell on that trick and I didn’t want to fall on the same trick on my last go.
“I felt the wind and did a switch 720, then had a bit of a weird landing at the bottom. It’s all good, it wasn’t quite what I hoped for but I’m still pretty proud of it.”
Gus, aged 30, announced he is to retire from competitive skiing. He said :”I’ve had a great time, I feel very lucky to be back here for a third Games and doing it for Team GB has been awesome.
“The Olympics has changed my life, it has provided so much, all the opportunities I’ve had through skiing and my silver medal [for USA at Sochi 2014] is crazy to me and I feel very lucky.”
“It has been so special. This last performance was for my mum and doing it for GB.
“I hope I made her proud, I’m sure I did. It wasn’t a medal or quite what I set out for but it all comes down to the day and it was a tough day today.”
Team GB’s cross country skier Andrew Musgrave finished 12th in the 50km Mass Start Free that was shortened to a distance of 30km because of adverse weather conditions.
Andrew said: “It was a little bit strange that the 50km suddenly got changed to a shorter race. But I couldn’t really do anything about that and just had to go out and make the best of it.
“I was feeling pretty good but on the second lap France’s Maurice Manificat increased the pace a wee bit and I felt it was just a little bit too fast.
“Out on the third lap, I was a little bit in the red and just couldn’t keep pace with the front guys. It was a fight to not lose too much time and keep my position.
“I was a little bit annoyed. 50km is meant to be the ultimate endurance race and I felt like it wasn’t quite the same.
“I like 30km as well, I know I’m strong on both of them. It’s a similar sort of race, preparation and warm-ups are all the same. I was annoyed but at the same time it didn’t affect my preparation.”
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