Gus Kenworthy: British freestyle skier will not be penalized for ICE graphic message

Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy will not be disciplined after he appeared to urinate a video message about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the snow, then posted a photo of it online.

Kenworthy shared the photo – which preceded the word “ICE” with an expletive – on Instagram a week before he competed in the Winter Olympics in Italy.

An IOC spokesman told the Press Association that Kenworthy would not be sanctioned for the position.

“During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their opinions in accordance with the Athlete Expression Guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal posts on social media,” they said.

“Innocent people have been killed, and enough is enough. We cannot wait while ICE continues to operate with unchecked force in our communities,” Kenworthy added in his Instagram post.

The United States said it would send ICE agents to the Games to help support US security operations, angering the Italian Foreign Ministry and citizens.

US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in Milan for Friday’s opening ceremony at San Siro and watched the US team’s opening ice hockey game on Thursday.

Kenworthy, 34, was born in Chelmsford, but has lived in the US for most of his life.

He won a silver medal in downhill skiing at the 2014 Sochi Games while representing the United States, as well as five medals at the X Games.

He switched to representing Team GB in 2019, competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and will feature in the men’s snowboard halfpipe event, with qualifying starting on February 19 in Livigno, Italy.