A few members of Team USA will be competing with a heavy heart during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
Prior to the opening ceremony on Friday night, Team USA freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess made it clear that he doesn't agree with everything going on back in America.
"It's a little hard. There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of," Hess said Friday, via USA Today. "Wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S."
Hess, 27, isn't the only Olympian. who opened up about the politically-charged debates and unrest taking place in America.
© Jack Gruber-Imagn Images.
Aerials freestyle skier Chris Lillis, who won a gold medal during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, said he's heartbroken over the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids taking place this year.
"I love the USA and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics," said Lillis. "With that being said, a lot of times athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what's happened in the United States. .. I think that as a country we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights and making sure that we're treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect
What's on tap for the Olympics?
Once the opening ceremony comes to an end Friday night, the action in Italy will officially begin. Sports fans will be treated to cross-country skiing, freestyle and ski jumping among other events.
There'll also be figure skating and snowboarding on display this weekend. Full coverage will be available on NBC and Peacock.
The 2026 Olympics will run through February 22.