Last week, Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy shared an image on Instagram where he had written the words “F— ICE” in the snow with urine. It turned out his anti-ICE sentiments were a bad decision, after he started to receive death threats. He is an American citizen, but is playing for Great Britain in the Winter Olympics in Italy.
In the caption for the image, Kenworthy shared a script for people to call their senator to request them to refuse to support additional funding for ICE. The Olympic skier shared a video on Sunday to say that since he posted his February 6 message to ICE, he has received many death threats.
“People telling me to kill myself, threatening me, wishing that they’ll get to see me blow my knee or break my neck during my events, calling me slurs… it’s insane,” he wrote, adding:
“And maybe that’s the price you pay for speaking up and using your platform, so maybe this video is just going to invite more hate and vitriol. But I think it’s important to say what we feel and stand up for what we believe in and stand up to injustice.”
Kenworthy mentioned other American athletes in the Winter Olympics, Hunter Hess and Mikaela Shiffrin who share similar opinions over the political situation in the US.
Kenworthy said, “I feel like sometimes people forget that you can love the US and be proud to be an American and still think the country can improve. Just because you love the U.S doesn’t mean you stand with this administration and stand behind their politics and support the things that they support because I don’t.”
Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy says he’s the victim of a hate campaign after urinating ‘F— ICE’ in the snow.
“A lot of the messages have been awful…calling me slurs…maybe that’s the price you pay for speaking up and using your platform.” pic.twitter.com/BgztJTbP5D
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) February 9, 2026
Moreover, the four-time Olympic athlete said, “I do not support ICE. And I think it’s absolutely evil and awful and terrifying. There have been US citizens that have been murdered in the street, executed in the street. And the officers are essentially acting with impunity because their identities are covered. There’s no accountability. It’s really scary.”
“I think overwhelmingly the majority of the people being targeted are good people, hardworking people that are non-violent and have no criminal history and just came to the US seeking a better life,” Kenworthy continued. “And that is literally the foundation story of the US”
“We are a county of immigrants, and that’s the American dream, and I think people forget that sometimes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hess had shared his mixed feelings on representing the US in the Winter Olympics. He told reporters, “There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”
