Summer Olympian Ilona Maher understands the double-edged sword of supporting Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games despite a divisive political climate back home.
“When I say, ‘Go USA!’ I am not condoning what is happening in my country,” Maher, 29, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, February 10. “I say, ‘Go USA!’ for all the athletes who I believe are a beautiful representation of what America should be. Those that are following a dream like many of their ancestors who dreamt of a better life and came to America for that.”
She continued, “I say, ‘Go USA’ because I know the hours put in not just by the athletes, but by the communities around America that raised them to be great.”
Maher, whose national rugby sevens team won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is among the content creators at the Milano Cortina Games.
“I say, ‘GO USA’ in hopes that we will become a country who doesn’t just say ‘love thy neighbor’ but actually embodies it,” she concluded her statement.
The Winter Olympics has taken place at the same time of widespread political division on home turf, which many athletes have also acknowledged while holding pride for the American flag and national anthem upon winning medals.
“It’s been a hard time for the community overall in this administration,” Team USA figure skater Amber Glenn said in a February press conference when asked about representing the LGBTQIA+ community. “It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights.”
She continued, “And now, especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities. I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger.”
According to Glenn, 26, she isn’t afraid to share her political beliefs.
“I hope I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times,” Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, told reporters earlier this month. “I know that a lot of people say, ‘You’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all.”
She added at the time, “It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So, of course, there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us.”
Glenn, however, has since claimed that she received “hate” for expressing her opinions.
“I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice when asked about how I feel,” Glenn wrote via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, February 7. “I did anticipate this, but I am disappointed by it. I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now. But, I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”
U.S. vice president JD Vance, who has attended the Games with his family, has since issued a message to athletes getting political between their events.
“Yes, you’re going to have some Olympic athletes who pop off about politics,” Vance, 41, told CNN. “I feel like that happens every Olympics. My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you’re representing the country, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans. You’re there to play a sport, and you’re there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You’re not there to pop off about politics.”
Read the full article here
