Gus Kenworthy Takes a Stand (and a Leak): The Olympian’s Unconventional Protest in Italy
If there is one rule we are all taught as children before we ever strap on a pair of skis, it is the golden rule of winter: don’t eat the yellow snow. But at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy is asking us to at least read it.
In what might be the most bizarre mix of juvenile humor and serious political activism I’ve seen in my years covering the Games, Kenworthy has managed to make a splash before even hitting the slopes. The 34-year-old, who is currently competing for Team Great Britain after defecting from Team USA, took to Instagram to share a message that was quite literally written in fluid.
The message? A stark, yellow scrawl in the pristine Italian powder reading: “F*** ICE.”
A Message Written In… Yellow?
The logistics here are impressive. As anyone who has ever tried to write their name in a snowbank can attest, the pressure control required to pull off legible cursive is an athletic feat in itself. Kenworth’s penmanship was so suspiciously perfect that it looked a lot like the font Comic Sans.
The internet, naturally, had a field day. Commenters debated whether any man possesses that level of bladder control or if Photoshop was the real MVP here. Kenworthy, leaning into the absurdity of it all, later posted a follow-up “photo dump” (his words, not mine), admitting, “My last post was pee, so it only felt appropriate to follow it up with a lil’ dump… of photos from January. Yes, I’m a child.”
But beneath the bathroom humor lies a simmering anger that is very real, and very human.
The Politics Behind the Prank
It is easy to get distracted by the medium, but the message is where Kenworthy wants our eyes. This wasn’t just a prank by a bored athlete in the Olympic Village. It was a targeted strike against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the current administration’s deportation efforts.
Despite wearing the Union Jack on his kit this year, Kenworthy’s roots are clearly still tied to the States. In his caption, he didn’t just leave it at the shock value. He pivoted straight to advocacy, providing a phone number for followers to call their senators and a script to use during DHS funding negotiations.
This is the duality of Kenworthy. He is the guy who will make a “dump” joke, but he is also the man who isn’t afraid to alienate fans or sponsors to say exactly what he believes. He’s been banging this drum for years, once telling an interviewer that being a “good man” involved opposing ICE. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and apparently, his politics in the snow.
Navigating the IOC’s Tightrope
From a coverage standpoint, this puts the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in a familiar bind, though Kenworthy seems to have outmaneuvered them this time. The IOC has famously strict rules about political demonstrations on the field of play or on the podium. We have seen athletes reprimanded for raising fists or taking knees.
But Kenworthy, a veteran of four Winter Games, knows the playbook. By posting this on his personal Instagram rather than unzipping a banner at the bottom of the halfpipe, he falls under the “Athlete Expression Guidelines,” which generally protects social media posts. The IOC confirmed they won’t be handing down any punishment, noting they don’t regulate personal social feeds.
It is a savvy move. He gets the headline, he gets the message out to his 1.2 million followers, and he keeps his eligibility intact.
The Team GB Defector With American Concerns
Kenworthy’s journey to this point has been anything but a straight line. Born in Britain, raised in Telluride, Colorado, he won silver for the U.S. in Sochi back in 2014. He famously came out as gay shortly after, becoming a trailblazer in a sport that hasn’t always been the most inclusive environment. His switch to Team GB for the Beijing Games and now Milan-Cortina was a homecoming of sorts, but his cultural and political heart clearly still beats for America.
Why This Matters
We often demand that athletes “stick to sports.” We want them to shut up and dribble, or in this case, shut up and ski. But athletes are human beings living in the same turbulent world as the rest of us. They have fears, they have families, and they have opinions.
Whether you agree with his politics or find his method distasteful, you have to credit Kenworthy’s authenticity. In an era of carefully curated PR statements and robotic press conferences, there is something undeniably raw about an Olympian using bodily functions to protest federal policy.
Kenworthy is competing in what is likely the twilight of his competitive career. He might leave Italy with another medal, or he might not. But one thing is for sure: he’s already left his mark. Just make sure you watch where you step.
