As Winter Olympics begin in Italy, some Team USA athletes speak out about politics at home

As the Winter Olympics officially begin in Italy, some Team USA athletes share their thoughts on how to represent the United States in a tumultuous political climate.

For the most part, American athletes express their views in general terms, avoiding direct criticism of individuals or organizations.

“I love the United States and I think I would never want to represent another country in the Olympics. That being said, you know, athletes are often reluctant to talk about their political views and how we feel. I’m heartbroken by what happened in the United States,” Team USA freestyle skier Chris Lillis told reporters Friday in response to reporters’ questions. referencing ICE actions in Minneapolis and protests against them.

“I think as a country we need to focus on respecting everyone’s rights and making sure that we treat our citizens as well as anyone else with love and respect,” Lillis said. “And I hope that when people look at the athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that this is the America we are trying to represent.”

Hunter Hess, another freestyle skier on the U.S. team, said his feelings about representing the United States on the international stage were complicated because of the domestic political situation.

“I think it brings mixed emotions representing the United States right now, I think. It’s a little difficult. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. I think for me it’s more about representing my friends and family back home, the people who represented them before me, all the things that I believe are good about the United States,” Hess said.

“I just think if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the United States,” he continued. “So yeah, I just want to do it for my friends and my family and the people who supported me to get here.”

Trump administration envoy and Kennedy Center director Rich Grennell criticized Hess on social media Saturday morning, suggesting the skier “move to Canada if you’re not proud to wear America’s clothes.” Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said online that Hess should “shut up and go play in the snow.”

On Wednesday, Texas figure skating champion Amber Glenn denounced the idea that athletes should not comment on current events.

“I hope I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try to encourage people to stay strong during these difficult times,” Glenn told reporters. “I know a lot of people say you’re just an athlete and stick to your job and shut up about politics, but politics affects all of us. It’s something I’m not going to stay silent about because it’s something that affects us in our everyday lives. So of course there are things I don’t agree with, but as a community we are strong and we support each other, and Better days await us.”

Glenn, who is set to compete in his first Olympics with Team USA, also said that American LGBTQ Community was in trouble under the Trump administration

“It’s been a difficult time for the (LGBTQ) community as a whole in this administration,” Glenn said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to come together as a community and try to fight for our human rights, and now especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think we’re able to support each other in ways that we didn’t need to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger.”

Gus Kenworthywho represents the United Kingdom at these Olympics but has dual British and American citizenship and has previously competed for the American team, posted a photo of an explicit message condemning ICE on social media earlier this week. The message was written in urine in the snow.

In the photo’s caption, Kenworthy posted a script that Americans can use when calling their elected representatives to speak out against defunding ICE and Border Patrol.

“Innocent people have been murdered, and that’s enough. We cannot wait for ICE to continue operating with unchecked power in our communities,” the caption continues.

Asked if Kenworthy would be disciplined for the post, a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee told Britain’s Press Association that the organization “does not regulate personal posts on social media.”

“During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views in accordance with the Athlete Speaking Guidelines,” the spokesperson said.

In addition to domestic policies, a number of actions taken by President Trump have sparked outrage abroad, including his recent threats to take control of Greenland.

During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday, Vice President JD Vance received cheers and boos in the arena.

Sarah Hirschland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said earlier this week that U.S. team members had prepared for possible mixed receptions from international crowds during the Games.

“We don’t anticipate a lot of negative energy on the playing field, but we’ve done a ton of preparation for the Games with the athletes to make sure they feel comfortable and don’t come into an uncertain environment,” Hirschland said. “They know the resources they have available in case an uncomfortable situation arises.”