LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — American freeskier Hunter Hess has reached the end of his successful run-in Olympic halfpipe qualifying and then leaned into the camera. He bent his left thumb and index finger into the shape of an ‘L’, brought them to his forehead and pointed at them with the other hand.
“Apparently,” he explained, “I’m a loser.”
The 27 year old who has been given that label from US President Donald Trump at the start of the Olympics – leading to threats to his family and the start of the first major event political unrest of the Games – finally got into the starting gate on Friday. After scoring his first run, he showed the ‘L’ sign and then explained that he had used the entire episode as motivation.
“I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen,” Hess said. “I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I can’t say that enough. In my original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA.”
Hess was one of four Americans to qualify for the 12-person final, all of whom have a chance to give the U.S. team its first gold medal after nearly two weeks of skiing and snowboarding at the Livigno Snow Park.
During a news conference at the start of the Games, skiers were asked how they felt representing the country amid the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement actions at home.
Hess’ response: “If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I represent it. Just because I carry the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s happening in the US.”
That got Trump’s attention.
“Hess, a true loser, says he won’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 a shame he’s included,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
After a few days that disappeared. The freeskiers, who had been placed at the back of the Olympic schedule, retreated to Laax, Switzerland, for a week of training. Hess admitted it wasn’t the easiest of times.
“I’ve had a week that’s been quite challenging,” he said. “Luckily my family was there to support me and help me through it. There was a lot of noise and I never had to deal with that kind of criticism. Skiing has saved my life time and time again and it seems like it has happened again.”
He said: “There’s been a lot of hate. All those people are super entitled to their opinions, and I respect that.”
But in the end, he said he had no doubts about what he said at that fateful Feb. 6 news conference. The message, he emphasized, was actually a statement of support.
“I stand by what I said. I love the United States of America. I can’t say that enough. It means the absolute world to me to be able to represent Team USA here. I worked so, so hard to get here. I stand by what I said.”
