Team USA alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin on Saturday told reporters during a press conference (via USA Today) that she hopes to elevate “inclusivity… diversity and kindness” at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite the current political turmoil in the United States.
When asked about representing the United States during a time of deep social and political division, she said, “I think there’s a lot of hardship in the world globally, and there’s a lot of heartbreak, there’s a lot of violence. It can be tough to reconcile that when you’re also competing for medals in an Olympic event. I actually have some thoughts. I can read something that I had written.”
Shiffrin then shared a quote from Nelson Mandela. She said she was inspired by Charlize Theron, who quoted the South African civil rights leader during the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. “’Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where we can all flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.’”
She concluded, “And for me, as this relates to the Olympics, I’m really hoping to show up and represent my own values. Values of inclusivity, values of diversity and kindness and sharing, tenacity, work ethic, showing up with my team every single day, like I said before, and the values that we bring and put out on the mountain and on the hill every single day. I’m hoping to represent those who have been supporting me this entire time, and I’m really thankful to be here. My greatest hope for these Olympic Games, from a broader perspective, is that it is a beautiful show of cooperation and of competition.”
Team USA’s freestyle skiers also had some complicated feelings about representing America. Chris Lillis told the press he feels “heartbroken” about the turmoil that ICE has caused in Minnesota, but hopes American athletes can represent a more unified vision of the United States.
“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,” Lillis said. “I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”
Fellow Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess said during a press conference that representing the United States brings up “mixed emotions,” and that if he wins a medal, it would be more for his “family and the people that support me getting here” than his home country.
“I think it’s a little hard,” Hess said. “There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
