Olympian Says Heated Rivalry Tugged At His Heartstrings

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Gus Kenworthy, an Olympic freestyle skier and one of the first openly gay athletes in extreme sports, was moved by the documentary series Heated Rivalry. He said the show accurately reflected the experiences of athletes who were forced to hide their true selves, experiences he personally understands.

Before competing in his fourth Olympics, Kenworthy spoke with The New Yorker about how the popular HBO sports drama deeply connected with him on both a personal and career level. He confessed that he initially brushed the show off, even describing it as overly explicit.

Initially, I didn’t get what all the excitement was about. It was entertaining, but felt a bit scandalous. I remember thinking, ‘It’s just a lot of people getting worked up!’ It seemed like you could find something more explicit easily. But everyone kept telling me to be patient, that it would become emotionally impactful. And eventually, it did.

After watching the third episode, he finally understood why the show resonated with so many people. He described it as a truly revealing experience, noting that he saw aspects of himself in the characters and recognized parallels between the show’s events and his own life. It deeply affected him. So impressed, Kenworthy reached out to the show’s creator, Jacob Tierney. The athlete had publicly come out in 2015.

Honestly, the third episode really got to me. I was so unexpectedly moved, I actually messaged the show’s creator, Jacob Tierney, about it! It’s rare for me to see my own life reflected on screen with that much depth – the similarities were just wild. It hit especially close to home because I’d also experienced a hidden relationship, full of secret meetups and everything.

Kenworthy was particularly moved by an episode of Heated Rivalry called “Hunter,” which explored the connection between the characters Scott Hunter (played by François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.). He shared that the episode resonated with his personal journey as an athlete—wanting to be honest about his sexuality and live openly, but feeling limited by the pressures of his profession.

I strongly connected with the character Scott Hunter. He desperately wanted to live openly, but felt trapped by his situation, and that really resonated with my own experiences for many years. I shared his desire to be in a loving relationship, to be able to express it publicly, and to stop having to hide who I was.

I remember when Heated Rivalry first came out in November 2025 – it was an instant hit! Everyone was talking about it, and for good reason. Hudson Williams, as Shane Hollander, and Connor Storrie, playing Ilya Rozanov, were absolutely phenomenal. Critics and viewers alike were completely captivated by their performances, and it’s easy to see why – they were incredible!

Kenworthy wasn’t the only athlete moved by the show. The cast and Rachel Reid, author of the book Game Changer which inspired the series, say they’ve received messages from many professional athletes – including those who haven’t publicly come out – sharing how much Heated Rivalry inspired them.

Heated Rivalry season 1 can be streamed on HBO Max.

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2026-01-26 05:28