MILAN — As 232 athletes represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina while political volatility and unrest divides their country back home, many American Olympians are experiencing "mixed emotions."
"It's a little hard. There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of," American freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess said on Friday, ahead of the opening ceremony. "Wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S."
Like Hess, U.S. aerials freestyle skier Chris Lillis feels conflicted about wearing red, white and blue. He told USA TODAY Sports that he's "proud to represent our country" on one hand, while simultaneously being "heartbroken" over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and crackdowns taking place across the country. He proves that joy and pride can coexist with uncertainty, but Lillis said his participation shouldn't be mistaken for complicity.
"I love the USA and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics," said Lillis, who won gold in the mixed team aerials event in Beijing in 2022. "With that being said, a lot of times athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what's happened in the United States. .. I think that as a country we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights and making sure that we're treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect."
