Kamal Ghorui
Team GB freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy has sparked controversy at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy after posting a graphic anti-ICE message written in snow using his urine, yet will face no punishment under Olympic rules.Kenworthy shared a photo reading “f— ICE” with his 1.3 million Instagram followers shortly after arriving in Italy ahead of the Milan-Cortina Games, which officially open on Friday. The post quickly spread online, drawing praise from supporters and criticism from others for its explicit nature and political message.
The protest came amid heightened tensions around the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Milan. The issue surfaced after Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala publicly criticised ICE following reports that federal agents would be stationed at Olympic sites as part of security arrangements. The backlash was significant enough that Team USA reportedly renamed its hospitality headquarters, previously known as “The Ice House.”Kenworthy, a former Team USA athlete who later switched allegiance to Team GB, used the post to urge political action. “You can call your Senator at (202) 224-3121 to speak up against ICE and put pressure on them during the current DHS funding negotiations,” he wrote on Instagram, citing claims that the agency has been linked to deaths in Minneapolis.He later doubled down with another post on Friday morning, writing: “My last post was pee so it only felt appropriate to follow it up with a lil’ dump … of photos from January. Yes, I am a child.”ID@undefined Caption not available.The timing of Kenworthy’s comments is notable given that ICE agents were in Milan as part of the security detail for US vice president JD Vance, who was attending the opening ceremony. Protests also erupted in the city, with demonstrators carrying banners reading “ICE out” and “Fuck ICE.”Despite the uproar, Kenworthy will not be sanctioned under Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” The reason: the act itself was not carried out inside an Olympic venue, and the message was shared on personal social media.An International Olympic Committee media spokesperson confirmed the position, saying: “During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views as per the Athlete Expression Guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal social media posts.”Born in Chelmsford, England, Kenworthy moved to Colorado at the age of two when his family emigrated to the United States. He competed for Team USA at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics before switching to Team GB ahead of the Beijing Games in 2022, where he finished eighth. Despite representing Britain, he continues to live in the US.Kenworthy has a long history of political activism. Ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he openly criticised the decision to host the Games in China, citing the country’s human rights record and its treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
