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Gus Kenworthy, a British-American Olympic skier who will compete for Great Britain in freestyle skiing, posted a graphic anti-ICE message on his social media as the opening ceremonies were due to begin for the 2026 Cortina Olympics in Milan on Friday.
Kenworthy posted a photo on his Instagram that showed the words “f— ICE” on snow in what appeared to be urine. He urged Americans to call their senators to pressure them to vote against the Department of Homeland Security funding cuts.
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Gus Kenworthy of Great Britain looks on during practice prior to competing in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Final during the 2025 Toyota US Grand Prix at Copper Mountain on December 20, 2025 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“Innocent people have been murdered and enough is enough,” he wrote in the caption. “We cannot wait while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our community. Senators still have influence right now, and Sen. [Name] must use it to demand real restraints and accountability – including getting ICE and CBP out of our communities, ending blank-check funding for brutality, and establishing clear limits on warrantless arrests, profiling and enforcement in sensitive places like schools and hospitals.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Kenworthy would not be punished for his political views.
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Gus Kenworthy (GBR) competes in the freestyle skiing men’s halfpipe final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Genting Snow Park on February 19, 2022. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
“During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views according to the Athlete Expression Guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal posts on social media,” the IOC told the Press Association.
The announcement came amid outrage over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota. In January, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed.
ICE agents were also expected to act as security for U.S. officials. It drew outrage from Italian officials and sparked protests around the country.
Gus Kenworthy of the United States celebrates at the end of his second run in the men’s ski slopestyle final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Kenworthy was born in Great Britain but moved to Colorado as a child. He represented the United States at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, but chose to compete for Great Britain in 2019.
