NEW VIDEO: British-American Olympic Skier Gus Kenworthy Plays Victim After Urinating Vulgar Anti-ICE Message in Snow Ahead of Winter Games
British American freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy is facing renewed criticism after posting a follow-up video addressing backlash over a recent social media post protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ahead of the Olympic Games in Italy.
Kenworthy, 34, who competes for Great Britain but resides in the United States, previously represented Team USA before switching national teams after the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Last week, Kenworthy shared a photo on Instagram showing a message he wrote in the snow criticizing ICE. In the caption, he encouraged followers to contact their senators during ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding discussions. He also provided a sample call script urging lawmakers to establish “guardrails and accountability” for ICE, writing that “innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough,” and arguing that the agency operates with “unchecked power.”
The post drew strong reactions online, with many social media users criticizing the skier’s message and others defending his right to express his views.
On Sunday, Kenworthy posted a video saying he has received hostile responses, including threats and abusive messages, since sharing the image.
“A lot of the messages have been awful, people telling me to kill myself, threatening me, wishing they’ll get to see me blow my knee or break my neck during my event, calling me slurs … it’s insane,” he said in the video.
He added, “Maybe that’s the price you pay for speaking up and using your platform.”
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said no sanctions would be imposed, noting that it does not regulate athletes’ personal social media activity.
“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,” an IOC spokesperson told The Guardian.
According to The Guardian, Team GB did not issue a direct statement on the post but indicated it viewed the matter as a personal opinion expressed outside the scope of the Olympic Games, and not something that invoked the team.
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