Hunter Hess Flashes 'L' After Qualifying, Stands By Comment
After qualifying for the Olympic halfpipe final in Livigno, Hunter Hess made an 'L' gesture, said he stands by his Feb. 6 remark and finished 10th in the final.
Overview
American freeskier Hunter Hess flashed an 'L' to the camera after nailing a run to qualify for the Olympic halfpipe final in Livigno, Italy.
A remark Hess made at a Feb. 6 news conference drew President Donald Trump's attention and prompted a Truth Social post calling Hess 'a real Loser,' according to the post.
Hess said the episode led to threats to his family, that his family supported him, and that he used the controversy as motivation, according to his comments.
The 27-year-old was one of four Americans to advance to the 12-man final and finished 10th.
Hess said he stands by his Feb. 6 statement, that he loves the United States, and that he had no second thoughts about what he said while training in Laax, Switzerland.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the episode as a politically charged controversy sparked by a presidential insult, while depicting Hess sympathetically as resilient. Editorial choices — leading with the camera gesture, describing it as the "first major political imbroglio" and noting "threats to his family" — set that narrative. Source content (Trump’s "Loser" line, Hess’s remarks) is preserved.
FAQ
Hunter Hess stated that 'just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.'
Hess scored top five in both qualifying runs (82.75 and 85), advanced to the final, and finished 10th with a best score of 58.75 after crashes in his first two final runs.
Hess flashed an 'L' gesture (for 'loser') to the camera after qualifying and stated he stands by his Feb. 6 remark while affirming he loves the United States.
President Donald Trump called Hunter Hess 'a real Loser' in a Truth Social post.
American Alex Ferreira won gold with a score of 93.75 on his final run.
