FIS approved Gus Kenworthy’s request to switch his national affiliation from Great Britain back to the U.S. on Sept. 8. He finished sixth in men’s halfpipe for Team GB at Milan Cortina 2026 and will join U.S. team training in Austria in November.
FIS said the approval was not an exception to a May 2025 rule limiting athletes to one affiliation change. It agreed that athletes may return to their original country after at least four years if they meet restrictive criteria; switches to a third country remain prohibited. FIS expects to add the change to its rulebook after the Oct. 1 council meeting.
Team GB said it could not commit funding Kenworthy’s continued competition after the 2026 season and would release him if he wanted to return. The U.S. halfpipe field is crowded: six of last season’s top 10 were American. Hunter Hess, Birk Irving, Nick Goepper and Alex Ferreira filled the U.S. quota at the 2026 Games, while Olympic champion David Wise missed selection.
