Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy has sparked controversy at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina by urinating the words 'Fuck Ice' in the snow, in a protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 34-year-old, who competes in the free-ski half-pipe, posted a picture of the message on Instagram, urging Americans to write to their senators to 'rein in' ICE and border patrol.
Kenworthy said: '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 called for 'real guardrails and accountability' including limits on warrantless arrests and profiling. He followed up with another post, joking: 'My last post was pee so it only felt appropriate to follow it up with a lil' dump … of photos from January.'
The protest is notable as ICE agents are in Milan as part of the security detail for US Vice President JD Vance, who attended the opening ceremony. Protesters in the city carried banners reading 'ICE out' and 'Fuck ICE'. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed Kenworthy will not be punished, stating: 'The IOC does not regulate personal social media posts.'
Kenworthy, born in Chelmsford but raised in the US, previously competed for Team USA in 2014 and 2018 before switching allegiance to Team GB. He finished eighth in the last Winter Games in Beijing. This is not his first political statement; he criticised the 2022 Games in China over human rights and LGBTQ+ issues. Team GB declined to comment, but sources say they are not concerned as the post does not reference the team.
