The Olympics used to be about excellence, national pride, and athletes shutting up long enough to let their performances do the talking. Those days are apparently over. At the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, political activism has once again muscled its way onto the podium, this time courtesy of two Team USA freestyle skiers who seem genuinely distressed about wearing the American flag.
During a press conference right after the opening ceremony, Chris Lillis, a gold medalist from the 2022 Beijing Games, announced that he feels “heartbroken” about ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations back home. According to Lillis, the situation has left him with heavy emotions while representing the United States on the world stage. He added that the country needs to “focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect.” That is a lovely sentiment, even if it has very little to do with hurling yourself through the air on skis.
His teammate Hunter Hess echoed the angst. Hess, who competes in freestyle halfpipe, said wearing the American flag “brings up mixed emotions” and is “a little hard” right now. He went further, explaining that he is not the “biggest fan” of much that is happening in the United States. He clarified that wearing the flag does not mean he represents everything happening in the country and that he is really doing this for friends and family.
Team USA skier: Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US. pic.twitter.com/1ZDvKB4A8a
— HQ (@headquarters68_) February 6, 2026
That explanation might sound heartfelt, but it also perfectly captures the modern athlete mindset. Pride is optional, gratitude is selective, and the flag is treated like a prop that comes with disclaimers.
Meanwhile, protests against ICE spilled into the streets of Milan, because apparently Italy needed to import American political grievances along with the snow machines. During the opening ceremony, Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Usha Vance were booed, a classy international gesture if there ever was one.
If that were not enough, British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy decided to take activism to its most juvenile extreme by urinating in the snow to show his disdain for ICE. Kenworthy lives in the United States, competes for Great Britain, and apparently thinks public indecency is a form of moral clarity. The stunt drew predictable outrage from the right, mostly because adults expect Olympic athletes to act like adults.
The Olympics are supposed to transcend politics, not serve as a floating protest rally. Athletes are free to hold whatever opinions they want, but when representing the United States becomes a source of embarrassment or emotional turmoil, it raises a simple question. If wearing the flag is such a burden, why fight so hard for the privilege?
Sports are about competition, not confessionals. National teams exist to represent nations, not to apologize for them. Watching elite athletes downplay the honor of representing their country while enjoying all the benefits that come with it has become an ugly tradition. Sadly, this time the activism is not just figurative. It is splashed across the snow for everyone to see.
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