U.S. athletes assert right to speak their minds

MILAN, Italy -- American athletes have the right to speak their minds, double Olympic snowboarding champion Chloe Kim said on Monday, stepping into a situation that has spilled from the Italian Alps into U.S. politics.

Her comments came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump labeled freestyle skier Hunter Hess a "real loser" for admitting he felt conflicted about representing his country at the Milano Cortina Games.

Hess had said it was "a little hard" to wear U.S. colors given his unease about events at home, remarks that ignited a social media storm and drew Trump's rebuke on Truth Social.

The exchange has sharpened a broader debate about whether Olympians should express personal views on the global stage.

American Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy, competing for his birth nation Britain at the Games, was pulled into the same culture clash after saying he got "awful messages" for posting an anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) slogan, apparently etched with urine in the snow to his followers.

Together the episodes have turned athlete expression into one of the Games' unexpected fault lines.

'PROUD TO REPRESENT U.S.'

"I'm really proud to represent the United States," Kim, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, told a press conference held by the women's U.S. snowboarding team in the mountain venue of Livigno on Monday.

"The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what's going on. And I think we need to lead with love and compassion and I would like to see some more of that."

Kim's comments were echoed by teammate Maddie Mastro, who said athletes should not turn a blind eye to what was happening around them.

"I'm also saddened with what's happening at home," she said.

"It's really tough and I feel like we can't turn a blind eye to that. But at the same time, I represent a country that has the same values as mine of kindness and compassion, and we come together in times of injustice."

Political tensions have surfaced at the Milano Cortina Olympics, including over the presence of personnel from ICE.

The agency has faced widespread protests across the U.S. after agents shot and killed two people in Minneapolis last month.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who attended the Games' opening ceremony in Milan on Friday, was booed when he was briefly shown on the San Siro stadium's large screens.

THREATENING MESSAGES

Kenworthy told his 1.2 million followers on Instagram that while he had received many messages of support, a lot had been awful.

"People telling me to kill myself, threatening me, wishing that they'll get to see me blow my knee or break my neck during my event, calling me slurs. I just want to remind everyone that you can love the U.S. and be proud to be an American. I am ... and still think it can be better. And I do not support ICE and I think it is absolutely evil and awful and terrifying."

In response to the comments by Hess, Trump said he should have stayed away from the U.S. Olympic team if he felt that way about the United States.

"U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn't represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that's the case, he shouldn't have tried out for the Team, and it's too bad he's on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!," Trump wrote.

Freestyle star Eileen Gu voiced support for Hess. The American-born skier, who competes for China, said she had "so much sympathy and empathy" for him, adding it felt like "an unwinnable press war" and the focus should remain on his skiing.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said in a statement it monitors public platforms, removes content when possible and escalates credible threats to law enforcement as appropriate. "No athlete should have to face this alone."

Steering clear of commenting on any one athlete or incident, USOPC simply said: "Mental health and security resources are available to Team USA athletes 24/7 and we encourage athletes to reach out whenever they need support.

"The USOPC stands firmly behind Team USA athletes and remains committed to their well-being and safety, both on and off the field of play."

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media