Olympian Says Heated Rivalry Tugged At His Heartstrings

Olympic freestyle skier and the first openly gay athlete in extreme sports, Gus Kenworthy, says he was deeply affected by Heated Rivalry for its portrayal of closeted queer athletes, noting that the events in the series were similar to his own experiences.

In an interview with The New Yorker before his fourth Olympic Games. Kenworthy explained how the breakout HBO sports drama resonated with him both personally and professionally. He admitted that while his initial reaction to the series was dismissive, he passed it off as “smut.”

At first, I didn’t understand the big deal. It was fun to watch, but it was sort of smut. I honestly thought, ‘All these thirsty gays! Y’all are just horny.’ Like, you could watch porn? People kept telling me, ‘Just wait — it tugs on the heartstrings.’ And then it did.

However, once he watched the third episode, he realized why so many people related to it. He described it as an eye-opening moment. He revealed that he could see himself in these characters, and a lot of the events of the show mirrored his own life. It moved him in a way that he didn’t even think was possible. Kenworthy was so impressed that he contacted the creator of the show, Jacob Tierney. The athlete came out publicly in 2015.

The third episode changed things for me. I actually wrote a message to the show’s creator [Jacob Tierney] because I was so moved, and didn’t expect to be. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself reflected onscreen like that, in such a substantial way. The parallels are kind of insane. I also had a secret relationship with these clandestine meetings and hookups.

Kenworthy said one specific episode of Heated Rivalry struck a chord with him. “Hunter,” which focused on the relationship between the titular character, Scott Hunter, played by François Arnaud and Kip (Robbie G.K.). He explained that the storyline echoed his own experiences as an athlete who wanted to be open about his sexuality and live authentically but felt constrained by his career.

And then the Scott Hunter character — I really related to him. He wanted to be out, but really, just truly felt like he couldn’t be, because of his circumstances. That was me for so many years. I had the same yearning — to be in love, to be public, and to not have to hide,

Heated Rivalry first debuted in November 2025, and it became an overnight sensation. It skyrocketed in popularity, with critics and audiences alike praising the lead actors, Hudson Williams, who portrays Shane Hollander, and Connor Storrie, who plays Ilya Rozanov’s performances.

Kenworthy isn’t the only athlete who felt touched by the show. According to the cast and Rachel Reid (author of Game Changer, the book the show was inspired by), several of them have received messages from professional hockey, football, and basketball players who are still in the closet, or at least to the public, telling them how inspired they were by Heated Rivalry.

Heated Rivalry season 1 can be streamed on HBO Max.