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NEED TO KNOW
- Ilona Maher explained what she’s actually saying when she cheers for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Maher attended the USA vs. Canada women’s hockey game on Feb. 10
- Other Olympians, including Hunter Hess and Amber Glenn, have expressed appreciation for being able to freely speak their minds on politics
Olympian Ilona Maher is opening up about what it means to her to support Team USA amid political turmoil at home.
Maher, 29, explained in an Instagram post on Tuesday, Feb. 10 that when she cheers for American athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she’s not her expressing support for what’s happening in the U.S. Instead, it’s her way of showing up for the American dream and for the Olympics who put their blood, sweat and tears into competing.
“When I say, ‘Go USA!’ I am not condoning what is happening in my country. 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 so many of their ancestors who dreamt of a better life and came to America for that,” Maher wrote in the post, which showed her supporting Team USA at the women’s hockey game versus Canada on Feb. 10.
The Olympic bronze medal-winning rugby player said she knows “the hours put in not just by the athletes but by the communities around America that raised them to be great.”
“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 said.
Maher is just one of many Team USA athletes who have spoken up in recent weeks about politics at home, including President Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown
Skier Hunter Hess dealt with backlash — along with support — when he explained last week why he feels “mixed emotions” representing the U.S. at this year’s Games. His comments drew ire from President Donald Trump, who called him a “real loser.”
In response, Hess wrote on Instagram that he loves the United States, where he is able to freely practice freedom of speech.
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“There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that make this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out,” he wrote. “The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete.”
Hess had previously said at a press conference that he’s “not the biggest fan” of things that are currently happening in the U.S., and that just because he wears the U.S. flag on his uniform doesn’t mean he represents everything going on in the country.
Meanwhile, figure skater Amber Glenn told reporters that it’s been “a hard time” for the LGBTQ community, of which she is a member, and said she hoped to use her platform and her voice “to try and encourage people to stay strong.”
She later said she was stepping away from social media, as her comments had sparked “a scary amount of hate/threats.”
Skier Chris Lillis also talked to reporters about how he feels representing Team USA, saying that while he’d “never want to represent” any other country, he’s “heartbroken” by what’s happening in the U.S.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
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