US Skier Hunter Hess Finishes Last After Trump 'Loser' Controversy at Olympics
One of the most vocal critics of former President Donald Trump at the Olympic Games has concluded his time in Italy at the bottom of the leaderboard. Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess faced significant backlash after publicly speaking out against the Trump Administration, and his performance in the men's halfpipe final reflected the immense pressure he endured.
Disappointing Performance in the Halfpipe Final
After successfully qualifying for the prestigious men's freestyle skiing halfpipe final, Hess failed to deliver a high-standard performance, ultimately finishing in 10th place out of the 11 competitors. His first run ended with a disappointingly low score of 27.25 due to poor execution, which caused him to bobble the landing and fall into the snow.
The second run did not bring any improvement, as Hess fell once again and completely lost his right ski during the landing. This mishap left him with only one final opportunity to climb the rankings and secure a medal. However, on his last attempt, Hess managed only a score of 58.75, placing him second-to-last in the event.
Political Controversy and Social Media Backlash
Hunter Hess had been at the center of controversy throughout the Olympic Games after expressing his displeasure with the Trump Administration. In response, former President Trump branded the skier as a 'real loser' in a post on his Truth Social platform. During the qualifying rounds for the halfpipe event, Hess responded by placing his hand to his forehead in an 'L' shape, directly referencing Trump's comment.
'Apparently I am a loser,' Hess stated at the time. 'I am leaning into it.' Following his less-than-stellar performance in the final, social media erupted with criticism, adding fuel to the fire. One user on X wrote, 'Ooooh my Hunter Hess couldn’t even get a score over 60. HAHAHA KARMA BABY .. Now find another country if the USA isn’t for you. Go Woke Go Broke.'
Another commenter noted, 'If you're gonna get political as an athlete, you need to bring the goods. Hunter Hess did not, placing 10th in his only event.' A third user added, 'Hunter Hess dead last bruh. Another trash liberal.'
The Emotional Toll on Hess
The result comes after Hess admitted that his time in Cortina since making the comments had been the 'hardest two weeks of my life.' He elaborated, 'I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this moment happen. 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.'
Hess continued, 'In 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 and ride as much as I can. It was pretty distracting. I had a week that was pretty challenging. 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 type of criticism.'
Reflecting on the support he received, Hess said, 'But with my family's help, I was able to get through it. And skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again. It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life. I luckily had a lot of friends and family support getting through it.'
Despite the outcome, Hess remained steadfast in his views, concluding, 'I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough. My entire family, they all live there. It means the absolute world to me to be able to represent Team USA here. I've worked so hard to get here. And yeah, I stick with what I said.'
