The 2018 Winter Olympics just get better and better, right?! I meant this especially for the LGBTQ community with athletes like Gus Kenworthy leading the pack. He's not only an amazing athlete, but he's also a great poster boy for the community with his Midwest charm and handsome features (those eyes, seriously!). He's down for making some Olympic firsts in PyeongChang, too. In the opening ceremony, Gus shared a quick peck with fellow American Adam Rippon, which he shared on social media. Yesterday he one-upped himself by sharing a kiss with his boyfriend on live TV before competing.
He didn't come away from the event with a medal, but he did break a record for the first (two if we count the opening ceremony) same-sex kiss on live TV in any Olympic Games.
He told The Guardian: "I didn’t even know that that was a televised moment at all, but I think that’s amazing."
"That’s something that I wanted at the last Olympics was to share a kiss with my boyfriend at the bottom and it was something that I was too scared to do for myself. And so to be able to do that, to give him a kiss, to have that affection broadcast for the world is incredible."
Despite losing out on the Olympic medal, Kenworthy wasn’t phased, saying: "If you look at me right now, I’m bummed but I’m not sulking, I’m not crying."
"I’m really proud to be here. Being out at this Games has kind of meant the world to me. Just getting to really be myself and be authentic and I think that landing a run in the final, getting on the podium obviously would have been icing on the cake. But even though it didn’t happen for me, I still had a wonderful Olympic experience and I’m really happy for the guys that did get on the podium. I don’t know, maybe there’s a next time."
He finished the interview by saying: "It wasn’t the sports result I was hoping for but I’m very proud to be representing the LGBTQ community and happy to be here with other athletes that also are. And just be part of such an amazing and diverse country."