LIVIGNO, Italy – Freestyle skier Hunter Hess turned presidential criticism into Olympic fuel Friday, delivering a standout halfpipe performance while embracing the harsh words directed at him by President Donald Trump.
After completing his first run at the Winter Olympics, the 27-year-old athlete made his statement clear – forming an ‘L’ with his fingers against his forehead while looking directly into a television camera.
“Apparently I’m a loser,” Hess said to reporters afterward, flashing a smile.
The exchange stems from Trump calling Hess “a real loser” following the athlete’s earlier comments about having mixed emotions while representing the United States. The remarks came amid broader tensions as several American sports figures have voiced concerns about recent immigration enforcement actions, including a deadly incident in Minneapolis where federal agents fatally shot two individuals.
Rather than letting the presidential rebuke derail his Olympic dreams, Hess channeled the controversy into competitive drive during his runs in the Italian Alpine community.
“I worked so hard to be here. I worked my entire life to make this moment happen,” Hess explained. “I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way.”
The Oregon native credited his family with helping him navigate what he described as “a lot of noise and a lot of hate out there,” while acknowledging that “all those people are super entitled to their opinion, and I respect it.”
His Friday morning performance backed up his determination. Hess executed two solid runs, successfully landing after performing aerial flips and twists above the 7.2-meter halfpipe structure. His efforts earned him fifth place among 25 competitors, securing his spot in the evening’s final round.
The skier also updated his Instagram profile to read “a real loser,” further embracing the presidential criticism.
Hess clarified his patriotic feelings during Friday’s post-competition interviews, addressing the original comments that sparked Trump’s ire. His earlier statement suggested that wearing the American flag didn’t mean endorsing every domestic policy.
“I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough,” Hess emphasized. “My original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently some people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA.”
The Bend, Oregon resident reflected on the unprecedented attention surrounding his Olympic experience.
“I’m just a skier from Bend, Oregon,” he noted. “I’ve been doing the same thing with the same people my entire life, so being seen by the entire world was definitely a unique experience.”
Hess acknowledged that the week leading up to his Olympic competition was unlike anything he had previously encountered, as the political controversy thrust him into the national spotlight.
