Hunter Hess hits back at Trump ‘loser’ claim after Olympic qualifying
Hunter Hess qualifies for Olympic halfpipe final amid political row
American freeskier Hunter Hess made a pointed gesture to cameras after qualifying for the Olympic halfpipe final in response to Donald Trump labelling him a “loser”.
The 27-year-old successfully completed his run before making an “L” shape with his left hand and pointing to it with his right.
“Apparently, I’m a loser,” he said immediately afterwards.
Hess had faced threats to his family after becoming embroiled in a major political controversy at the start of the Games involving the former US President.
Using criticism as motivation
The freeskier stated he used the high-profile spat as fuel for his performance on the snow.
“I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen,” Hess explained.
“I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way.”
Despite the friction, the Team USA athlete insisted he remains proud to wear the national colours.
“I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough,” he added.
“My original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently people didn’t take it that way.”
USA seeking elusive gold
Hess was one of four US skiers to reach the 12-man final at the Livigno Snow Park.
The squad is aiming to secure their nation’s first gold medal in nearly two weeks of skiing and snowboarding events.
However, the buildup for the team has been dominated by off-piste distractions.
The dispute began when athletes were asked about representing their country during the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement.
Hess had stated he felt he represented the US “if it aligns with my moral values”.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” he noted at the time.
Trump’s social media response
Those comments drew a sharp rebuke from Mr Trump on Truth Social.
He described the skier as a “real loser” who “shouldn’t have tried out for the team”.
After retreating to Laax in Switzerland for training to escape the noise, Hess admitted the period took a toll.
“I had a week that was pretty challenging,” he confessed.
“There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that kind of criticism.”
Hess maintained he has no regrets regarding his initial comments and remains focused on the upcoming final.