LIVIGNO, Italy — After completing a strong qualifying run in Olympic halfpipe competition, American freeskier Hunter Hess made a statement that captured attention worldwide. The 27-year-old athlete positioned himself in front of the camera, formed an ‘L’ shape with his thumb and index finger, placed it against his forehead and gestured toward it with his opposite hand.
“Apparently,” he said afterward, “I’m a loser.”
This bold gesture came after President Donald Trump publicly criticized Hess on social media, calling him a “real Loser” and questioning his place on Team USA. The controversy began during an early Olympic press conference when reporters asked athletes about representing America amid the current administration’s immigration policies.
Hess had responded by saying: “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.”
Those comments drew Trump’s ire, leading to a post on Truth Social where the president wrote: “Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”
The backlash was swift and intense. Hess revealed that his family received threats, and he faced unprecedented criticism during what should have been the highlight of his athletic career.
“I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen,” Hess explained after his qualifying performance. “I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough. My original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA.”
Following the initial uproar, the freeski team traveled to Switzerland for training, giving Hess time to process the situation away from the spotlight. He acknowledged the difficulty of that period.
“I had a week that was pretty challenging,” the athlete admitted. “Luckily, my family was there to support me and help me get through it. There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that kind of criticism. Skiing has saved my life time and time again and it seems to have done so again.”
Despite the personal attacks, Hess maintained respect for his critics, stating: “There’s been a lot of hate out there. All those people are super entitled to their opinion, and I respect it.”
Most importantly, the skier emphasized that he stands behind his original comments, viewing them as patriotic rather than divisive.
“I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough. It means the absolute world to me to be able to represent Team USA here. I worked so, so hard to get here. I stick with what I said,” he declared.
Hess successfully advanced to the 12-person final alongside three other American competitors. The U.S. freestyle skiing and snowboarding teams are still seeking their first gold medal of these Olympics at the Livigno Snow Park, nearly two weeks into competition.
