The Los Angeles Times reports:

Mikaela Shiffrin has generally let her performances do the talking during a career that has seen her win two Olympic titles and more World Cup races than any skier in history.

But she clearly had something more to say before taking the slopes for the first time in the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

“I actually have some thoughts,” she said when asked by a reporter how she felt about representing the U.S. at a time when the country is riven by deep political divides. “I can read something that I have written if you guys don’t mind.”

Shiffrin then looked down at her phone for a quote from Nelson Mandela, who said: “Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”

Mandela’s quote was said a day earlier by actress Charlize Theron during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, and it resonated deeply with Shiffrin.

“For me this relates to the Olympics,” Shiffrin said. “I’m really hoping to show up and represent my own values. Values of inclusivity, values of diversity and kindness.”

Left unsaid is the belief that many of those values are under attack in the country whose flag she wears in competition.

Traditionally, U.S. athletes have avoided discussing politics on the world stage. But at the Milan-Cortina Games, several Americans have joined Shiffrin in speaking about the conflict of representing a country that may no longer be representing their values.

“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now,” said freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who was referencing the ongoing federal immigration raids in Minnesota. “It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of.

“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.” [Continue reading…]