"Olympic skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Hunter Hess are among the athletes who've talked about the political situation in the U.S. while at the Milan-Cortina Games. President Trump called freestyle skier Hess a "loser" on social media after Hess said he had mixed emotions about representing the U.S. at the Olympics. Multiple U.S. athletes emphasize they represent American values of inclusivity and compassion, not the current political situation in the country."
"Mikaela Shiffrin has generally let her performances do the talking during a career that has seen her win two Olympic titles and more World Cup races than any skier in history. But she clearly had something more to say before taking the slopes for the first time in the Milan-Cortina Winter Games."
""I actually have some thoughts," she said when asked by a reporter how she felt about representing the U.S. at a time when the country is riven by deep political divides. "I can read something that I have written if you guys don't mind." Shiffrin then looked down at her phone for a quote from Nelson Mandela, who said: "Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.""
Mikaela Shiffrin and other U.S. Olympians addressed U.S. political divisions while competing at the Milan-Cortina Games. Shiffrin invoked Nelson Mandela’s definition of peace and said she hopes to represent values of inclusivity, diversity and kindness. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess said he had mixed emotions about representing the U.S., and President Trump called him a "loser" on social media after that remark. Multiple American athletes emphasized that they represent American values of inclusivity and compassion rather than the current political situation. Traditionally U.S. athletes avoided political commentary, but several Americans spoke up in Milan-Cortina.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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