Gus Kenworthy to Compete at 2026 Olympics with Political Message

British-American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy, who will represent Great Britain in freestyle skiing at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, is set to begin his competitions on Friday. He recently shared a provocative anti-ICE message on social media.

On his Instagram, Kenworthy posted an image with the phrase “fk ICE” written in what looks like urine on snow.

He urged Americans to reach out to their senators, advocating for opposition to the funding negotiations of the Department of Homeland Security. “Innocent people have been killed; enough is enough,” he mentioned in his post. “We cannot stand by while ICE operates unchecked in our communities. We need to demand real accountability and remove ICE and CBP, end their unchecked funding, and set clear limits on warrantless arrests in sensitive places like schools and hospitals.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that Kenworthy won’t face any repercussions for expressing his political views. They confirmed that participants at the Olympic Games can share their opinions in line with the Athlete Expression Guidelines. The IOC also noted that they don’t monitor individual social media posts.

Kenworthy’s outcry comes amid controversy surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minnesota, where the recent murders of Renee Good and Alex Preti have drawn significant anger. Additionally, ICE’s involvement in protecting U.S. officials has irritated Italian authorities, leading to protests across the country.

Born in England, Kenworthy moved to Colorado as a child. He previously represented the United States in the 2014 Sochi Olympics but chose to compete for Great Britain in 2019.