MILAN — As the Winter Olympics begin in Italy, several American athletes have used the lead-up to the Games to speak out about events back home in Minneapolis, where controversy has surrounded the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement after two U.S. citizens were shot by federal agents in January.
Among those speaking up is three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins of Afton, Minn. Diggins, 34, who is expected to compete in six events in Milan and is considered a medal contender, posted on Instagram that she wants people to know who she is racing for at the Olympics. She said she represents Americans who stand for love, acceptance, compassion, honesty and respect, and that she does not stand for hate, violence or discrimination.
The issue has prompted visible reactions from other Minnesota athletes as well. The day after 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was killed by Customs and Border Protection agents on a Minneapolis street, Team USA hockey player Kelly Pannek of Plymouth, Minn., interrupted a postgame news conference to call the enforcement ‘unnecessary and just horrifying.’ Her Minnesota Frost teammate and fellow Team USA member Taylor Heise nodded in agreement.
Several other U.S. Winter Olympians also posted messages emphasizing unity and inclusion. Snowboarders Stacy Gaskill of Denver and Bea Kim of Palos Verdes, Calif., shared sentiments about togetherness, with 19-year-old Kim noting that the Olympics represent global unity and that diversity is woven into the country’s fabric.
Prominent athletes outside the Winter Games added their voices as well. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, named to Team USA’s 2024 Olympic roster, called Pretti’s death a murder on social media. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart appeared at a recent Unrivaled 3-on-3 event holding a sign reading ‘Abolish ICE,’ saying that when human lives are at stake the matter is bigger than sports.
In Milan, organizers made a small but symbolic change: a Team USA hospitality space for friends and family was renamed to remove the word ‘ice.’ U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and U.S. Speed Skating said the newly named ‘Winter House’ better reflects the room’s purpose as a private area for athletes, families and friends to celebrate the Games without distraction.