US freestyle skier Hunter Hess speaks to reporters at a press conference on February 6. Photo: Screenshot from X
Controversy has been sparked around several US athletes on social media during the ongoing Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, as some US freestyle skiers and figure skaters made remarks questioning what it means to represent the US at the Games against the backdrop of recent violent immigration enforcement operations in the US. Chinese expert said it shows how the deep divisions within the US on the issue are increasingly spilling over to international stage.
The controversy began on Friday when US freestyle skier Hunter Hess spoke to reporters at a press conference following the opening of the Winter Olympics. Hess said that wearing the American flag now brought "mixed emotions," adding that "just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the US." He said he competes for his friends, family and what he described as the positive aspects of the country, rather than endorsing all government actions.
Hess's remarks were made amid ongoing debates over US immigration policy, particularly "ICE operations continue to be carried out during the Trump administration," according to Fox News.
The comments quickly ignited various reactions on social media among netizens and politician. "They should be sent home. They don't deserve to be there, and they have no right to represent a country they don't even respect," one netizen wrote on X on Sunday.
"Quit…America doesn't need a non-believer or doubter representing this great land," another said.
Tim Burchett, U.S. representative for Tennessee wrote on its X account on Saturday: "Shut up and play in the snow."
While critics accused the athletes of politicizing sports, some observers defended their right to speak. "One can be proud to be American while not being proud of what the administration is doing to America," one netizen wrote, while another TV host from Alraimedia argued the backlash itself, asking, "Does opposing what is going on make u a bad citizen? Isn't free speech protected by the first amendment?"
Hess was not the only US athlete to be under the spotlight. Fellow freestyle skier Chris Lillis also said on Friday that "I feel heartbroken about what's happened in the United States," in response to questions referencing ICE's actions in Minneapolis and the protests against them, according to CBS News on Saturday.
"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."
Meanwhile, US figure skater Amber Glenn also sparked controversy after saying that "politics affect us all" in a pre-game conference and that she hoped to use her platform during the Games to encourage people facing hardship — remarks that similarly triggered controversy online.
The athletes' remarks reflect not provocation, but a sense of unease driven by growing social disorder linked to immigration enforcement, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. He noted that athletes, though not directly involved in immigration policy, chose to speak out despite the risks of criticism, suggesting that the impact of ICE operations has created widespread anxiety affecting both individuals and their communities.
Such discussions cannot be easily silenced, as immigration enforcement has become a defining and persistent issue in US domestic politics that is likely to extend into future election cycles, Lü said.
According to Reuters, hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of US immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Milano Cortina Winter Games' opening ceremony.
Signs of the spillover have also appeared beyond athletes' remarks. Reuters reported that US Olympic officials renamed an athlete hospitality space from "Ice House" to "Winter House" following protests linked to ICE-related incidents.
During the opening ceremony, US Vice President JD Vance, who attended the event in Milan, was reported by several international outlets to have been booed by parts of the crowd when he appeared on stadium screens.
While, at the same time, other reports said applause could also be heard, and some US broadcasters appeared to downplay or omit the boos in their coverage, highlighting differing interpretations of the crowd's reaction.
"These reactions indicate that US domestic turmoil has increasingly become a global concern while spilling into Winter Olympics, and the impact of ICE-related controversies appears to be far more profound, both domestically and internationally, than many may have anticipated," Lü said.
