Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats after posting a graphic message about the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement organisation – commonly known as ICE.
Kenworthy shared the image – in which ‘ICE’ was preceded by an expletive – on Instagram a week before he was due to compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
The 34-year-old was born in Chelmsford but grew up in America and won silver in the ski slopestyle at the Sochi 2014 Games, before switching allegiance to Team GB in 2019.
In a new post on Instagram, Kenworthy said there had been a lot of “encouraging” support but that he has also received death threats.
“The other day I posted a photo with my thoughts on ICE and that photo has since gone everywhere – and I’ve gotten a tonne of messages and most of them honestly have been supportive and encouraging,” Kenworthy said in a video., external
“But 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.”
Kenworthy will feature in the men’s snowboard halfpipe event, with qualifying beginning on 19 February in Livigno, Italy.
Protests have taken place across the US over the past few weeks after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, 37, and fellow Minnesota resident Renee Good, 37, were both killed by ICE agents in the city in January.