Gus Kenworthy shared an anti-ICE message written in urine, urging Americans to call their Senators to oppose ICE funding
British Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy sparked controversy during the Milan Winter Olympics 2026 by urinating the words ‘f**k ICE’ in the snow and calling on Americans to pressure their senators over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding. The stunt, shared on Instagram on 4 February, comes as Team USA attempts to distance itself from the immigration debate by renaming its hospitality venue to avoid association with the federal agency.
Kenworthy, who holds dual British and American citizenship and previously competed for Team USA before switching to Team GB, posted a photo of his message alongside a sample script urging followers to contact their local senators during Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations. ‘Innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough’, the script read, emphasising that senators have ‘leverage’ to rein in what the Olympian characterised as ‘unchecked power’ in American communities.
The timing of Kenworthy’s protest coincides with Team USA’s decision to rename its athlete hospitality venue from The Ice House to The Winter House. US Figure Skating, USA Hockey, and US Speedskating issued a joint statement explaining the rebrand was intended to create ‘a private space free of distractions where athletes, their families, and friends can come together to celebrate the unique experience of the Winter Games’.
The organisations added that the new name ‘captures that vision and connects to the season and the event’, though they acknowledged concerns about potential ICE-related protests in Milan influenced the decision. The move reflects mounting anxiety within American Olympic circles that political controversy could overshadow athletic performance and alienate corporate sponsors who have invested millions in Team USA’s Milan campaign.
The hospitality venue rebrand represents a calculated risk management strategy, as Olympic organisers traditionally seek to maintain political neutrality to protect broadcasting deals and sponsorship arrangements worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Two Team USA athletes publicly acknowledged the emotional strain of representing their country during ongoing ICE raids and protests in Minnesota. Freestyle skier Chris Lillis said he felt ‘heartbroken’ over the immigration crackdown whilst acknowledging his love for the United States and his commitment to representing only his home country at international competitions.
‘A lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States’, Lillis said, breaking from the traditional Olympic protocol of avoiding political commentary during competition.
Hunter Hess echoed those sentiments, saying that wearing the American flag ‘brings up mixed emotions’ at the current moment. ‘There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t’, Hess explained. He clarified that his participation is about representing ‘my friends and family back home…all the things that I believe are good about the United States’.
Hess added: ‘Just because I wear the flag, it doesn’t mean I represent everything that is going on in the US’, drawing a distinction between national athletic representation and endorsement of government policies.
Kenworthy told People that his decision to compete for Team GB instead of Team USA stemmed from ‘a lot of different reasons’, with the intense competition for American roster spots playing a significant role. He explained that the four available positions on Team USA are contested in what he described as a ‘nightmare’ selection process where athletes fight ‘dog-eat-dog’ for limited berths.
The skier argued that his presence in the American selection pool would mean displacing ‘world-class’ athletes who could otherwise medal, whilst competing for Britain opened ‘a quota spot’ that would not have existed otherwise. ‘I didn’t take that spot from anybody. That spot wasn’t a spot otherwise, and maybe that quota spot took away the very one of the spots at the bottom of the ranking, but that’s someone that’s competing at a lower level anyway’, Kenworthy explained.
The controversy underscores the growing challenge facing international brands and sporting organisations navigating politically charged environments, particularly when athletes leverage social media platforms to voice dissent during high-profile commercial events. Olympic sponsors typically invest heavily in maintaining apolitical messaging to maximise global appeal, making athlete activism a potential flashpoint for reputational and financial risk.
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