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Perhaps the most famous and outspoken among them is legendary 1980 American ice hockey gold medalist Mike Eruzione, who posted a response to Hess on social media.
During a news conference with the U.S. freeski team in Milan on Friday, Hess, 27, said he felt conflicted because “there’s a lot going on that I’m not a big fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.”
“I think it brings mixed emotions to represent America right now,” Hess said, via Portland, Oregon’s KGW8. “It’s a little difficult. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not a big fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.”
“For me, the important thing is to represent my friends and family back home, the people who represented me before me, all the things that I think are good about America,” he added. “I think if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I carry the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s happening in the U.S.”
Those comments drew the ire of Eruzione, a captain of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” gold medal team that scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union in the medal round. He had previously shown support for Donald Trump, but in responding to Hess, he did not mention the president. He said the skier should not wear a uniform representing the U.S. if they prefer to represent friends and family.
“Hunter Hess, American snowboarder, says he does not represent his country but his family and friends,” Eruzione posted. “Then don’t wear the U.S. uniform; maybe just wear it to family and friends. Some athletes just don’t get it.”
Eruzione was criticized for appearing at a Trump rally in 2020 with his USA Hockey teammates and wearing a hat that said “Keep America Great.”
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In response to the negative reactions received for his appearance, Eruzione expressed his regret for wearing the hat.
“If we had known we were going to piss off so many people, we probably wouldn’t have worn the hats,” says Eruzione, 65. he told the Washington Post. “That’s the big question here. A lot of the things I got were, ‘You guys said it’s not political, but when you put the hats on, you made it political.'”
Presumably, Hess’s comments “made him political” in Eruzione’s opinion. However, he is not the only American athlete who has expressed ambivalent feelings towards what is currently happening. Freestyle aerialist Chris Lillis said he wouldn’t want to represent any other country, but is “heartbroken” by current events.
“I feel heartbroken by what happened in the United States,” Lillis said via the Washington Post. “I think as a country we need to focus on respecting everyone’s rights and making sure we treat our citizens, as well as anyone, with love and respect. I hope that when people look at the athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that is the America we are trying to represent.”