As she battles for a place at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Greenlandic biathlete Ukaleq Slettemark is grappling with a fear far greater than any sporting pressure: the prospect of the United States forcibly taking over her homeland.
Olympic Dreams Amidst Geopolitical Nightmares
The 25-year-old athlete, currently competing alongside her brother Sondre in the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding, Germany, described the repeated statements from US President Donald Trump as "terrifying." Speaking to The Associated Press on Wednesday 14 January 2026, Slettemark revealed the profound personal toll the situation is taking on her family back in Greenland.
"We are imagining the worst-case scenario and my aunt is having trouble sleeping at night," she said. "My mom, yesterday, she broke down at the stadium crying because she’s so afraid." Slettemark stressed that while she is an athlete, not a politician, the threats from the US are impossible to ignore, requiring extra effort to maintain focus on her training and competitions.
A Complex National Identity on the World Stage
The Slettemark siblings represent Greenland in World Cup events, but due to Greenland's status as a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark without its own National Olympic Committee, they would compete for Denmark if they qualify for the Olympics. A decision on their qualification is expected next week. Ukaleq Slettemark previously represented Denmark at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Born in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, she comes from a family deeply embedded in the sport. Her father, Øystein Slettemark, was an Olympic biathlete in 2010, and her mother, Uiloq, founded the Greenland Biathlon Federation.
International Reaction and Calls for Action
Slettemark's comments came on the same day President Trump reiterated his intention on social media, stating the US "needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security." This post preceded a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt.
The athlete expressed anger and a sense of disrespect, noting that people in Greenland are now discussing whether they might have to leave. "This is not how you talk to another country, this is not how you talk to your allies," she stated.
Despite the tension, Slettemark holds no animosity towards her American counterparts in the biathlon community, describing them as "really nice people." However, she hopes the American public will pressure Congress to halt any takeover plans, which she likened to Russian aggression in Ukraine. She revealed that some within the biathlon circuit have suggested the US should face an Olympic ban, similar to Russia's post-2022 invasion, if it forcefully annexes Greenland.
"I've definitely thought so myself, but we’re not at that stage right now, because nothing has happened yet," Slettemark conceded. "But if it were to happen, then I would also agree that that would be the right way to do it."
