U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess has “mixed emotions” representing the United States at the Milano Cortina 2026. Hess said while referring to the tense political situation back home, “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean that I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.” President Donald Trump responded by calling him a “real loser” and saying it was “very hard to root for someone like this.” As this back-and-forth continued, Chinese-American Olympian Eileen Gu concluded Hess was fighting a losing battle.

Gu called the situation “an unwinnable press war” for Hess (via the Guardian). Gu has trained with Hess in the US in her younger days in San Francisco. But she chose to represent China. China does not allow dual citizenship, and there is no record of her giving up her American citizenship. A topic she has not publicly addressed. She related her own experience to the current American athletes and expressed sympathy, saying, “As someone who’s been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes.” 

Other athletes like freestyle skier Chris Lillis and Chloe Kim have come to Hunter’s defense as well. Some have criticized him. Former Olympian Mike Eruzione wrote, “Hunter Hess, US snowboarder, saying he doesn’t represent his country but his family and friends. Then don’t put on the USA uniform, maybe just put for family and friends.” Hess argued that he loves his country, but maintained that he has the right to speak out. For Gu, however, this conversation has gone beyond what the Olympics should be.

“I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so …” Gu took some time to continue, avoiding any statement that would induce further backlash from Donald Trump, “unrelated to the spirit of the Games,” she said. “It really runs contrary to everything that the Olympics should be.”

Even beyond Hunter Hess, the Olympics have been clouded with politics. Protests have erupted around the Olympics with activists raising concerns about political neutrality, human rights, and the environmental and social impacts of the Games. They included anti-ICE banners saying, “Milan despises you.” That is because news broke out that ICE agents will accompany the US delegation at the games (per the New York Times). On the other hand, American athletes are using their voices in the tense situation back home. It is causing a divide like few have seen at the Olympics, which is exactly what Eileen stands against. 

“The whole point of sport is to bring people together.” She added, “One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?”

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

This sentiment from Gu is not new. When she announced her decision to switch teams at Beijing 2022, she said, “Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help inspire a young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.” As an American turned Chinese athlete, Gu revealed that she feels the pressure that comes with her past. 

Eileen Gu Admits She is “Skiing With The Weight Of Two Countries” 

Despite it being years since she switched to representing China, Eileen Gu’s name is still whispered with hushed tones in the US. When she announced the shift, she was a 16-year-old phenom, expected to bring a boatload of medals to the country. Suddenly, those went to the country’s chief rival on the opposite side of the globe. While Gu intends to promote peace, there is a different pressure that comes with this kind of move. And it will shadow Gu throughout her career. 

“Sometimes it feels as though I’m skiing with the weight of two countries on my shoulders.” She said. “And just being able to ski through all of that, and show my best and still so deeply in love with the sport – that’s what I care about, and I’m so happy to represent that today.”

Gu missed out on the Gold in the thrilling women’s freeski slopestyle final against defending champion Mathilde Gremaud. It was Beijing 2022 replaying in Milano Cortina. Gremaud scored 86.96 from her second run, having gone big after Gu set the benchmark in her first run with an 86.58. A 0.38 point deficit meant Gu finished with a silver medal, but she still has the big air and half-pipe events to look forward to.