Anyone who protests against US policy at OIympia quickly becomes a target themselves

After Vice President JD Vance was booed at the opening ceremony on Friday and Italy protested against the presence of the US immigration authorities ICE, athletes are also increasingly becoming the focus of a political debate.

The most visible protest against the US President and his MAGA (Make America Great Again) camp was delivered by freestyler Gus Kenworthy, who comes from the USA but competes for Great Britain. He posted a photo with the words “Fuck ICE” written on it – according to him, he had specifically peed it in the snow.

Other US athletes expressed themselves less drastically, but no less clearly. For example, Kenworthy’s colleague Chris Lillis said that he was “deadly unhappy” about the brutal actions of ICE officers and criticized Trump’s immigration policies. In response, he wants to represent different values ​​at the Olympics and work to ensure that all citizens are treated with love and respect.

Halfpipe skier Hunter Hess spoke of the “mixed feelings” he currently has about representing the USA: “Just because I carry the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s happening at home.” He also demands respect, openness and the freedom to express criticism. Trump then called him a “real loser” and that it was difficult for him to “cheer for someone like him.”

US athlete becomes target of Trump’s supporters

But although the athletes are mostly reserved in expressing their opinions, criticism from home is loud. Openly bisexual figure skater Amber Glenn also had this experience after she answered a question about Trump’s attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community and spoke of a “difficult time for the community, especially for queer people”. She also said she “didn’t just want to stay out of politics” because it affects the lives of queer people.

As a result, she became the target of MAGA accounts that insulted and threatened her. Several US politicians also expressed sharp criticism. As a result, Glenn announced that he would temporarily withdraw from Instagram – a decision that shows how high the price of political stance has become.

Nevertheless, other US athletes are not deterred from taking a stand. One of the clearest voices is the cross-country skiing Olympic champion Jessie Diggins. The 34-year-old, dominating in the World Cup and one of the team’s defining figures, spoke last Thursday about the two killings of US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE.

“It’s incredibly hard to concentrate on skiing when I see what’s going on at home,” she said. “And my fear of what’s happening in my homeland gives every race a deeper meaning. Because I’m here to make a difference.” She is campaigning for “an America that is loving, respectful, open” – and not for “hatred, violence or discrimination”.

Just like Diggins, ski racer Lindsey Vonn also comes from Minnesota and made critical comments before her dramatic race on Sunday. “I have family and friends in Minnesota, where I grew up. My heart is incredibly heavy for everyone back home,” she said in a press session, vowing to show the world “what America is, who we are as people, because we are more than what is happening right now.”

And then there are ice hockey players like Kelly Pennek, a forward for the US team who comes from a suburb of Minneapolis. The events in her homeland took her “out of the professional sports bubble” and made her show sympathy. She told Der Spiegel, referring to a partial withdrawal of ICE officers from Minnesota, that she was proud to represent a country “where people can fight for what they believe in.”

For her, the Winter Games would show the “Olympic spirit and the power of sport”. A time when people would come together through him. Many of her teammates expressed similar sentiments.

The pro-Trump votes are likely to come soon

The backlash in the USA is still fierce and is likely to become even more pronounced in the future. Republican Bryan Donalds, for example, called on critical athletes to “go home” if they found it difficult to represent the country, but there have been no official warnings from the US government so far.

Team USA is perhaps presenting itself as more openly political than ever before, and many of the athletes are using the Olympic platform to convey their values ​​to the outside world and clearly differentiate themselves from Trump and his supporters. But you also run the risk of being warned by your own association or the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After all, the IOC doesn’t want any political messages at the games – or come into the focus of Trump himself like Hunter Hess.

No US athlete has yet publicly taken a stand for Donald Trump. But given the growing polarization, it wouldn’t be a surprise if such voices emerged too. This could create additional tension within Team USA, with an uncertain effect on the atmosphere and sporting focus.