<\/p>\n
Team GB’s Gus Kenworthy says he is “on the right side” after he received death threats for posting a graphic message about the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement organisation.<\/b><\/p>\n
Freestyle skier 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.<\/p>\n
In January, intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, 37, and fellow Minnesota resident Renee Good, 37, were both killed by ICE agents in the city, sparking protests across the US.<\/p>\n
Speaking to BBC Sport about the threats he received, Kenworthy said: “It was tough. No-one wants to read bad things about themselves, things that are threats and violent and scary and homophobic.<\/p>\n
“I also took it with a grain of salt. I couldn’t imagine writing something like that about someone, especially on a public forum, anyone who does that has something wrong with them.<\/p>\n
“I think I’m on the right side.”<\/p>\n
Kenworthy, 34, was born in Chelmsford but grew up in the US and won silver in the ski slopestyle at the Sochi 2014 Games, before switching allegiance to Team GB in 2019.<\/p>\n
He qualified in ninth place for tonight’s halfpipe final, which starts at 18:30 GMT, with a score of 81.25 points.<\/p>\n
US skier Hunter Hess qualified in fifth and made an ‘L’ sign against his forehead after completing his run, in response to US President Donald Trump calling him “a real loser”.<\/p>\n
Before the Games, Hess had said: “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after Friday’s qualifiers, he said: “I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this moment happen.<\/p>\n
“I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Winter #Olympics #Gus #Kenworthy #death #threats #ICE #post #grain #salt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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