Team GB’s Gus Kenworthy will not face censure for an obscene social media image he posted just hours before arriving at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. An image emerged showing the words ‘f*** ice’, apparently urinated into the snow, in a direct attack on the controversial United States immigration and customs-enforcement agency by the freestyle skier.
Kenworthy, who was born in Chelmsford but has lived in the US for most of his life, also posted a message urging US citizens to pressure their respective senators to deny funding for the agency. The Press Association has reported that British Olympic Association officials are unconcerned by the post because it does not reference Team GB and it was posted outside the Olympic environment. However, he will not find himself in trouble with the International Olympic Committee either.
An IOC spokesperson said: “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.” Kenworthy wrote alongside the image: “Innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough. We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our communities.”
He added: “My last post was pee so it only felt appropriate to follow it up with a lil’ dump… of photos from January. Yes, I’m a child.” US vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio are in Milan Friday night’s opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium and watched their team’s opening men’s ice hockey match on Thursday.
The build-up to the Games was marred by protests over the reported presence of ICE agents in the Italian city as part of the wider US delegation. Kenworthy, 34, won a silver medal in ski slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi whilst representing the US, as well as five medals at the prestigious X Games.
He switched to represent Great Britain in 2019, competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, during which he voiced criticism of China’s human rights record and its record on LGBT issues. Kenworthy is set to compete in the men’s snowboard halfpipe competition in Livigno, for which qualifying begins on February 19.
Kenworthy will not face any punishment from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). An IOC spokesperson said: “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.”
Team GB has 53 athletes and two reserves for the games in Milan-Cortina. There will be representatives in 11 discliplines from Alpine skiing to snowboarding, GB have won their most medals at a single Winter Olympics in 2015 at Sochi and 2018 in Pyeongchang, where they scooped five golds.