ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) - Gus Kenworthy lifted his jacket to reveal a logo on his gray shirt: "Open British."
That was his farewell to the Olympics. That, with thanks to the sport of freestyle skiing.
The 30-year-old, who once represented the United States and now competes for Britain, explained after Saturday's ski halfpipe final that his message was a play on the phrase "openly gay".
He came out in 2015, a year after winning silver in Sochi – an Olympics where he captured the limelight and imagination by bringing home stray dogs from the mountain.
"This sport and competing at the Olympic and professional level has changed my life in ways I never imagined," said Kenworthy, who finished eighth on the halfpipe and on a blustery day in his final competition . "I'm gay. I felt like I didn't fit in the sport. To be out and proud of having participated in the Olympics and of all the opportunities that have come to me since the Olympics, I couldn't be more grateful."
"I know there's an expiration date and I'm on that date."
Kenworthy's career includes an Olympic medal - slopestyle silver from Sochi.
An even more iconic moment came four years later in Pyeongchang when she kissed her then-boyfriend at the foot of the hill. He was caught on which TV cameras and became a worldwide sensation. Kenworthy said he was grateful for this time, as it might make it easier for gay men to come into the game in the future.
He wanted to do an Olympic curtain call in 2022. The most direct route was to compete for Britain, his mother's home country. Some criticized the move by an athlete who was in the U.S. Born and trained in the U.S., this is hardly the first time Kenworthy has rocked a boat.
"I'm not everyone's cup of tea," Kenworthy said. "I'm out and proud and gay and loud. I think a lot of athletes really want to wing the line of every different angle and be able to captivate the masses. I've already kind of accepted I'm not going to do that. So I'm just going to speak my truth."
The way he wanted - slipped on his feet. However, the previous run was a bit painful after the wipeout.
"I wish I could do a little more," Kenworthy said. "But overall, I still feel very grateful and proud of my career."