GUS KENWORTHY has refused to confirm if he did actually pee in the snow to protest against US immigration agents – or if the image had been generated by AI.
But he has revealed that his fourth Olympic campaign cost him more than £150,000 ($200,000) in personal savings in terms of training and coaching.
Kenworthy has 1.2 million followers on InstagramCredit: Getty
The freeskier finished sixth in the men’s halfpipeCredit: AP
Before the Winter Olympics began, Kenworthy – a and TV actor – posted a photo on social media with the words “F*** ICE” that had appeared to have been carved out by urine in fresh snow.
This yellow-snow protest was against the controversial US and Customs Enforcement agents that have the full backing of President .
Openly-gay winter athlete Kenworthy – who has 1.2 million followers on – received “threats” and homophobic abuse for that message.
The 34-year-old, who is based in the US, has no regrets over his actions but declined to say exactly how it all came about.
The freeskier – who finished sixth in the men’s halfpipe – was asked directly if he had peed “almost perfectly” or if it had been manufactured by a computer.
Kenworthy, who switched to more than four years ago, replied: “No, I’m just good with it. Stick with that answer…”
He added: “I had the support of the British team, if anything should have arisen (security-wise).
“I feel like a lot of the threats and stuff weren’t substantiated.
“I don’t care what this random-ass person in the middle of nowhere is saying behind a keyboard on some fake account. I don’t care.”
Kenworthy – who competed at a fourth Olympics but second with Team GB – is not planning yet to hang up his poles, having only come out of retirement a year ago.
Yet when he announced his comeback, it was too late to secure any funding from GB bosses and he had to go it alone on the World Cup circuit.
The 2014 slopestyle silver medallist said: “I’m proud of myself for making it here. I’m proud of myself for putting a run down.
“In a lot of ways it’s been the Olympic experience that I had wanted and hoped for and trained for and planned for and dreamt of.
“I think if I had landed that third run that would have been really the dream come true scenario.
“I mean I’d rather have $200,000 right now. I remember after doing all of the logistical work to find out if it was even possible to come back.
“I then had this question of: ‘Well, should I?’ If I go to the Olympics and end up like eighth again, I’m not getting any money for that.
“It’s not going to pay back in dividends. So I was kind of grappling with that.
“I don’t want to put myself in a worse position financially after the Games and then sort of be scrambling, figuring out what to do.
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“My boyfriend was really supportive and it was just like money comes and goes. Like, who cares? We’ll figure it out.
“I don’t think that this opportunity is something that’s going to come around again, if you don’t take it now.
“If anything, it has stoked the fire and I’m excited. Onward and upward.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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