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Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy “must not distract himself” after posting a graphic message about the United States’ immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), says the British Olympic Association (BOA) chief Dame Katherine Grainger.

Kenworthy will not be punished after appearing to urinate a message in the snow about ICE then post a photograph of it online.

Grainger said Kenworthy had the right to express his own views but should not be distracted from competition.

“We have more athletes now who are more outspoken and the IOC are comfortable with athletes expressing an opinion,” Grainger told a press briefing on Saturday.

Grainger said she had not spoken directly to Kenworthy about the message and that she was not aware of his feelings regarding returning to the USA after the Games.

The skier, who lives in the USA but competes for Great Britain, shared the image – in which ‘ICE’ was preceded by an expletive – on Instagram a week before he is due to compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

In his Instagram post, Kenworthy said: “Innocent people have been murdered and enough is enough. We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our communities.”

A spokesperson from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told the Press Association on Friday that Kenworthy would not be punished for the post.

The IOC said of Kenworthy’s statement: “During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views as per the athlete expression guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal social media posts.”

The US said they would send ICE agents to the Games to help support American security operations, prompting anger from the Italian foreign office and citizens.

US vice-president JD Vance was in Milan for Friday’s opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium, where he and wife Usha were roundly booed by the crowd when they appeared on big screens at the arena.

Kenworthy, 34, was born in Chelmsford but has lived in the United States for most of his life.

He won silver in the ski slopestyle at the Sochi 2014 Games while representing the US, as well as five medals at the X Games.

Whether it be the unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day against Pakistan in 2007, or Kevin O’Brien thumping a rapid century to beat England four years later, Ireland’s history at World Cups is one built upon giant killings.

But if those historic days, and a few more besides against the likes of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, all helped to create a reputation for over-performance at global showpieces, it has been a contrasting story at T20 World Cups.

Indeed, as Ireland prepare to start their 2026 campaign against co-hosts Sri Lanka on Sunday, the presence of Oman in their group is a reminder that in the shorter format, the shoe has more often been on the other foot.

It was 10 years ago in India that defeat by the tournament debutants first up sent Ireland on their way to one of their six early exits from eight attempts, while it was the same old story in the USA last time around when a 12-run loss to Canada, with an assist from the weather, did the damage.

While Ireland lost three of their six scheduled T20s to the weather during a wholly frustrating home summer in 2025, in the months since they have at least had the benefit of regular cricket.

Harry Tector and Matthew Humphreys led the way for an encouraging T20 win over Bangladesh in November before consecutive losses to surrender the series gave the impression of a side who had run out of steam at the end of the multi-format tour.

A 2-1 series win over Italy followed by a two-game whitewash of the UAE have formed the bulk of preparations for the World Cup, but a final tune-up against Pakistan on Wednesday fell victim to the rain, robbing the side of the chance to step up against the sort of superior opposition they will face in their first two games in Sri Lanka.

Tector and Humphreys continue to lead the way with bat and ball respectively, with the former averaging 43 across his past eight T20 internationals to form a strong middle-order with wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker.

Ross Adair, who still has Ireland’s most recent T20 century to his name thanks to his knock against South Africa in 2024, appears to have held off the challenge of the younger Tector brother, Tim, to open alongside captain Paul Stirling.

Despite the skipper averaging 20 across the 16 T20s Ireland have played since the last World Cup, the 35-year-old remains the side’s best player against the spin bowling they are sure to face in Sri Lankan conditions.

The bowling resurgence of veteran all-rounder George Dockrell – who took four wickets for 53 runs from 13 overs in the warm-ups – allows for the lengthening of the batting line-up where 23-year-old Ben Calitz will be relied upon to provide some left-handed thump.

It is all, however, expected to be at the expense of a genuine quick. An out-of-sorts Josh Little did not feature in either match against the UAE after not managing a wicket in two games against both Bangladesh and Italy with an economy rate ranging between 9.50 and 13.50.

The player who took a memorable T20 World Cup hat-trick against New Zealand in 2022, and indeed had figures of 4-23 against Sunday’s opposition a year prior, looks likely to start the tournament outside the starting XI.

With Mark Adair, Ireland’s leading T20 wicket-taker there to shoulder the load in terms of seam, it means Malan’s selection can all, in one way or another, take some confidence from their preparations.

Men’s T20 World Cup, Group C, Kolkata

West Indies 182-5 (20 overs): Hetmyer 64 (36); Currie 2-23

Scotland 147 (18.5 overs): Berrington 42 (24), Shepherd 5-20

West Indies won by 35 runs

Scotland began their T20 World Cup campaign with a 35-run defeat by two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens, undone by Shimron Hetmyer’s blistering half‑century and Romario Shepherd’s five-wicket haul.

Having been drafted into the tournament late following Bangladesh’s boycott, the Scots had their moments but ultimately failed to match the quality of their opponents, who were winners in 2012 and 2016.

A fourth-place finish at last summer’s Europe Qualifier had looked to have cost Scotland a place at the 2026 edition, but handed a second chance, they proved they were not out of place on the big stage.

Chasing 183, the Scots were 37-3 in the sixth over when captain Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce came together in the middle and briefly ignited hopes of an upset.

The pair added 78 for the fourth wicket, with Berrington leading from the front with 42 from 24 balls but his departure with the score at 115-4 stalled their momentum.

West Indies then all but sealed the victory as Shepherd took four wickets in the 17th over, including a sensational hat-trick, to finish with 5-20.

Opting to bowl first, Scotland restricted West Indies to 182‑5 – a total they would have gladly accepted going into the final overs after coming under pressure from the brutal hitting of Windies duo Hetmyer and Rovman Powell.

Making their sixth appearance in the tournament, Scotland held their nerve through the powerplay as West Indies crawled to 33-0 before they struck twice in quick succession through Michael Leask and debutant Oliver Davidson.

Off-spinner Leask made the breakthrough in the ninth over to dismiss Windies skipper Shai Hope before Davidson, the 21-year-old left-armer, accounted for Brandon King, who had settled in well with a 30-ball 35, in the following over.

West Indies found themselves 66-2 at the halfway stage of their innings but some explosive batting from Hetmyer swung the momentum back in their favour with Powell also joining in with 24 from 14 balls.

Hetmyer, meanwhile, raced to his half-century in 22 balls and it needed a fantastic catch from Brandon McMullen at wide long-on to send back the batter in the penultimate over after a quickfire 64 from 36 balls.

Scotland may have been late additions to the T20 World Cup but Hetmyer was an even later arrival to India, only reaching Kolkata on the eve of West Indies’ opener because of issues with his visa.

But you would not have known it from his daring innings at Eden Gardens as the 29‑year‑old Guyanese left‑hander showed no hints of jet lag as he went about dismantling Scotland’s plans.

Hetmyer’s 22-ball half-century was the fastest ever by a West Indies player at the T20 World Cup, breaking Chris Gayle’s previous record from 23 balls against Australia in 2009.

He hit 40 of his first 52 runs in boundaries, and with support from Powell and Sherfane Rutherford who powered to a 13-ball 26, guided his team through a blistering middle phase as they went from 66-2 in 10 overs to 138-2 with five overs to go.

By the time he fell to a remarkable piece of fielding from McMullen, the damage had already been done with Hetmyer hitting six sixes and two fours at a strike rate of 178.

Hetmyer himself produced a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Scotland opener George Munsey early on but it was Shepherd who grabbed the limelight with the ball for the Windies.

With Scotland on 132-5 and needing 51 off 24, the all-rounder took four wickets in five balls to leave them reeling at 133-9.

Shepherd dismissed Matthew Cross, Leask and Davidson for his hat-trick before also picking up Safyaan Sharif’s wicket for the first five-for of his T20I career and giving West Indies a platform to build on as they eye a record third title.