Mikaela Shiffrin says it's 'tough to reconcile' violence in world while representing USA in Olympics

Decorated Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin wants to correspond her ain "values" astatine this year's Milan Cortina Olympic Games.

"I deliberation there's a batch of hardship successful the satellite globally, and there's a batch of heartbreak. There's a batch of violence. It tin beryllium pugnacious to reconcile that erstwhile you're besides competing for medals astatine an Olympic event," the two-time golden medalist said during her media availability successful Italy connected Saturday.

During her extended answer, Shiffrin work aloud a punctuation from Nelson Mandela, which was besides recited during the opening ceremonies.

Mikaela Shiffrin speaks during a property league during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium successful Cortina d'Ampezzo connected Feb. 7, 2026.  (Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images)

"'Peace is not conscionable the lack of conflict. Peace is the instauration of an situation wherever we tin each flourish, careless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, oregon immoderate different societal markers of difference,'" Shiffrin said, speechmaking the punctuation from her phone.

"And for me, arsenic this relates to the Olympics, I'm truly hoping to amusement up and correspond my ain values. Values of inclusivity, values of diversity, and kindness, and sharing, tenacity, enactment ethic, showing up with my squad each azygous day, and the values that we bring and enactment retired connected the upland and connected the elevation each azygous day. I'm hoping to correspond those who person been supporting maine this full time.

"I'm truly thankful to beryllium here, and my top anticipation for this Olympic Games, from a broader perspective, is that it is simply a beauteous amusement of practice and of competition."

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, successful Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

The questioning for Shiffrin comes connected the brink of galore American athletes being asked however they felt representing the United States astatine the Australian Open arsenic it pertains to President Donald Trump's existent 2nd term.

Anti-ICE protests occurred successful Milan past week aft the announcement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would beryllium deployed astatine this year's Games. 

U.S. Embassy officials told The Associated Press past week that ICE agents would enactment diplomatic information details and would not tally immoderate migration enforcement operations, considering they would beryllium successful a overseas country.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said ICE would not beryllium invited successful the city, and helium cited images of masked agents successful Minneapolis. 

People instrumentality portion successful an Anti-ICE demonstration, up of the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Milan, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.  (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

"This is simply a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their ain support slips. It is wide they are not invited successful Milan, without a doubt," Sala told RTL Radio 102 earlier ICE’s reported information engagement was revealed.

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