Eileen Gu Speaks Out Against Trump's Attack on Hunter Hess as Chloe Kim Expresses Sympathy for Freeskier's Ambivalence about Representing US
In a rare display of unity among winter sports athletes, Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim have come out in support of freeskier Hunter Hess, who sparked controversy when he expressed ambivalence about representing the US during President Trump's immigration crackdown.
Gu, an American-born freeskier competing for China, expressed sympathy for Hess' situation after her silver-medal win in slopestyle on Monday. "As someone who's been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes," she said. Gu noted that as a Chinese-American athlete, she knows what it's like to be under scrutiny and pressure to represent her country.
Chloe Kim, two-time Olympic gold medalist whose parents are South Korean immigrants, also spoke out on Hess' behalf. "My parents being immigrants from Korea, this one definitely hits pretty close to home," she said. "I'm really proud to represent the United States. The US has given my family and I so much opportunity, but I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions of what's going that we need to lead with love and compassion."
The situation came to a head when Trump attacked Hess on social media, calling him "a real Loser". However, Gu believes the controversy was unnecessary. "I'm sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so ... unrelated to the spirit of the Games," she said.
Gu also lamented the fact that the distraction from Trump's attack could overshadow the true beauty and spirit of the Olympics. "The whole point of sport is to bring people together," she added. "One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?"
Gu's comments have sparked a wider conversation about the intersection of sports and politics. While some athletes may feel pressured to conform to national expectations, others are using their platform to speak out against injustice and advocate for change.
As the Olympics continue, it will be interesting to see how athletes like Gu and Kim navigate these complex issues and stay true to their own values.
In a rare display of unity among winter sports athletes, Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim have come out in support of freeskier Hunter Hess, who sparked controversy when he expressed ambivalence about representing the US during President Trump's immigration crackdown.
Gu, an American-born freeskier competing for China, expressed sympathy for Hess' situation after her silver-medal win in slopestyle on Monday. "As someone who's been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes," she said. Gu noted that as a Chinese-American athlete, she knows what it's like to be under scrutiny and pressure to represent her country.
Chloe Kim, two-time Olympic gold medalist whose parents are South Korean immigrants, also spoke out on Hess' behalf. "My parents being immigrants from Korea, this one definitely hits pretty close to home," she said. "I'm really proud to represent the United States. The US has given my family and I so much opportunity, but I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions of what's going that we need to lead with love and compassion."
The situation came to a head when Trump attacked Hess on social media, calling him "a real Loser". However, Gu believes the controversy was unnecessary. "I'm sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so ... unrelated to the spirit of the Games," she said.
Gu also lamented the fact that the distraction from Trump's attack could overshadow the true beauty and spirit of the Olympics. "The whole point of sport is to bring people together," she added. "One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?"
Gu's comments have sparked a wider conversation about the intersection of sports and politics. While some athletes may feel pressured to conform to national expectations, others are using their platform to speak out against injustice and advocate for change.
As the Olympics continue, it will be interesting to see how athletes like Gu and Kim navigate these complex issues and stay true to their own values.
. I gotta say, as a fan of winter sports, it's dope to see athletes from different countries coming together like that 
. stats-wise, did you know that the number of Chinese-born athletes competing in the Olympics has been steadily increasing over the past decade? it's now at 35% of total medal winners 
. and speaking of USA, Chloe Kim is part of a growing trend of Korean-American athletes dominating the freestyle scene 
. but what's even more interesting is how this controversy highlights the complexities of representation in sports 
. research shows that athletes from minority groups are 2x more likely to face backlash for speaking out against social injustices compared to their white counterparts 
. we need more conversations like this one, ASAP 
. and btw, did you know that Eileen Gu's Instagram has over 10M followers? the power of sports activism is real 
he's literally caught between his love 4 sports & being a patriot but at the same time having feelings 4 his heritage too... it's like he's stuck in this impossible spot 
and im literally living for eileen gu's comments on this tho 
and can we pls just focus on the olympics 4 once 
i mean dont get me wrong, politics r important but they dont gotta overshadow the actual event 
it's like, what even is that?! anyway i think Chloe Kim said it best - we gotta lead with love and compassion. like, sports is supposed to bring people together not drive them apart. it's so refreshing to see athletes speaking out against injustice and using their platform for good 
. As someone who competes in a sport that's already under the microscope, she knows what it's like to be under pressure to represent your country. And let's be real, Trump's tweet was totally uncalled for 
. It's not cool when politicians try to stir up drama on social media instead of focusing on the actual issues.
I'm low-key impressed that Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim are speaking up on Hunter Hess' behalf 
. Like, we all know how the Olympics can be this perfect facade of unity and sportsmanship, but it's refreshing to see these athletes using their platforms to actually have a real conversation about what it means to represent your country 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how other athletes respond to this - will we get more people speaking up or will the pressure to conform win out? 
like wut's wrong with saying you're not sure about representin ur country? its not like hes betraying the US or smthn like that... Eileen Gu is actually kinda right tho, the real issue is how Trump chooses to attack ppl online instead of makin a decent argument 
, but nowadays it's all about politics too 
, what's up with that?! 
, can't he just mind his own biz? 
, that's what we need more of in the world - athletes coming together for a good cause 
.
. She's got a personal connection to this issue because of her parents' immigration story, but she's still choosing to speak out about it. That takes a lot of courage 
! It's all about using our platforms for good, right? 
i think eileen gu said it best when she said we should lead with love and compassion, it makes total sense