US Skier Hunter Hess Qualifies for Olympic Final After Trump's 'Loser' Taunt
American freestyle skier Hunter Hess has qualified for the Olympic halfpipe final, flashing an 'L' sign with his fingers in a direct response to being branded a 'real loser' by former President Donald Trump. The 27-year-old athlete admitted that the two weeks following Trump's vicious reaction were the hardest of his life, but he persevered to secure his spot in Friday night's competition in Livigno.
Trump's Backlash and Hess's Emotional Struggle
The controversy erupted when Hess, on the eve of the Games, expressed 'mixed emotions' about competing in American colours due to the fraught political climate at home. Trump immediately took to his TruthSocial account to fire back, stating, '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!'
Despite the immense volume generated by this exchange, Hess qualified fifth for the final. He opened up about the burden of being targeted by Trump, saying, 'It was pretty distracting. I had a week that was pretty challenging. Luckily my family was there to support me and help me get through it. There was a lot of noise and I've never been subject to that type of criticism.'
Hess's Resilience and Love for the United States
Hess insisted he does not regret expressing his sentiments, emphasizing his deep affection for his country. 'I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this moment happen. I'm not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough,' he stated.
He added, '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 and ride as much as I can.' Hess described how skiing has been a lifeline for him, saying, 'Skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again.'
Support from Family and the Skiing Community
The athlete credited his family and friends for helping him navigate the difficult period. 'It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life. I luckily had a lot of friend and family support getting through it,' Hess revealed. He also received encouragement from the broader skiing community, including Team GB's American-born skier Gus Kenworthy, who recently protested against the ICE immigration agency.
Hess said, 'We had a training camp in Laax and we just chatted about it, kind of how we got through the hardship. He gave me some pointers, which was really nice. And he just helped me have a little bit of an avenue to get out of the pain and focus on the good.'
Standing by His Words and Looking Forward
Despite the backlash, Hess stood firm on his initial comments. 'I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough. My entire family, they all live there. It means the absolute world to me to be able to represent Team USA here. I've worked so hard to get here. And yeah, I stick with what I said,' he affirmed.
Reflecting on the experience, Hess noted, 'I'm just a skier from Bend, Oregon. I've been doing the same thing with the same people my entire life. So being seen by the entire world was definitely a unique experience. But yet again, skiing took me away from it and gave me a lifeline when I didn't have too much.'
He concluded by expressing gratitude for the support he received, saying, 'There's been a lot of noise and a lot of hate out there. And all those people are super entitled to their opinion. I respect it. But I've had so much support from my local community back home, my friends, my family. So that has meant the world to me, the skiing community. It all meant the world to me. So I'm just happy to be here and representing USA.'
