Точка Синхронізації

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim issued a public defense of her U.S. Ski and Snowboard teammate Hunter Hess on Tuesday via social media, following disparaging remarks made by President-elect Donald Trump during a recent rally. The controversy erupted after Trump criticized Hess’s appearance and athletic style during a political event in New Hampshire over the weekend, utilizing the freestyle skier as a rhetorical foil to discuss traditional masculinity and American values. Kim, a high-profile figure in the winter sports community, utilized her platform to push back against the political targeting of amateur athletes who represent the United States on the world stage. The tension began when footage from the rally circulated online, showing Trump mocking Hess’s baggy clothing and the technical nature of halfpipe skiing. The President-elect’s comments were interpreted by many in the sporting world as an unnecessary lateral attack on an athlete currently preparing for the international competition circuit. Hess, who earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships, has become a prominent name in the freeskiing community, and Kim’s intervention signifies a growing trend of elite athletes resisting political characterizations of their specific subcultures. In her response, Kim emphasized the camaraderie within the American Olympic delegation and the immense physical toll required to compete at an elite level, regardless of the aesthetic of the sport. She characterized the criticism as a misunderstanding of the evolution of winter sports, which have moved toward a more expressive, youth-oriented culture that resonates globally. The exchange highlights a deepening divide between traditional political rhetoric and the modern identity of Team USA athletes, who often find themselves caught in the crosshairs of cultural debates. This incident marks a rare moment where a figure of Kim’s stature—becoming the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal in 2018—has directly addressed a high-level political figure in defense of a contemporary. As the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina approach, the friction between the incoming administration and the sporting community suggests that the intersection of politics and athletics will remain a contentious focal point for American competitors.