By MARTHA BELLISLE and DAVE CAMPBELL
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — As pleasure has constructed and focus has sharpened in preparation for the Winter Olympics, biathlete and Minnesota native Luci Anderson has been jarred at instances by ideas of residence.
At some point final week, whereas Anderson watched from Italy, her members of the family marched amongst hundreds of individuals by downtown Minneapolis in protest of the immigration crackdown that has wracked the town.
Anderson mentioned she struggles to maintain sports activities in perspective.
“It’s sort of onerous being over right here feeling like I’m doing this factor that doesn’t matter,” Anderson, 25, mentioned in a video interview with The Related Press. “It issues, however within the grand scheme of issues it’s like, ‘Wow, my folks again residence are preventing for folks’s rights, and I’m over right here simply snowboarding.’ It’s sort of an odd distinction to be making an attempt to chase my goals but in addition desirous to assist the folks which might be at residence preventing for what’s proper.”
The U.S. Olympic contingent in Italy counts 26 athletes who’re native to Minnesota, trailing solely Colorado (32) for probably the most by state. A few dozen others both name Minnesota residence now or compete and practice there in sports activities like curling or hockey.
A lot of them are coming to the Winter Video games with blended emotions: enthusiastic about competing within the Olympics however anxious concerning the state of affairs of their residence state.
Alpine ski star Lindsey Vonn, who grew up in Minnesota, mentioned throughout a news conference Tuesday that her coronary heart is heavy for everybody again residence.
“I believe the very best factor I can do is to do precisely what I mentioned, stand tall and have hope and present the world what America is, who we’re as folks, as a result of we’re greater than what’s occurring proper now,” she mentioned. “One of the best factor I can do is characterize us properly. And it’s a privilege to be right here. I don’t take that frivolously. I at all times do my greatest to make our nation proud, and I hope I can do this in these Video games.”
President Donald Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented migrants, sending federal regulation enforcement officers into cities like Minneapolis as a part of the push. It was one in every of his signature guarantees for his second time period in workplace. However final month, two deadly shootings by federal officers of U.S. residents sparked a broad backlash in opposition to the crackdown — together with in Minnesota itself.
Lee Stecklein, one in every of 5 natives of the state on the ladies’s hockey workforce, mentioned she hopes to “characterize Minnesota properly” on the Video games.
“The world is watching. Not simply right here. They’ll be watching us on the Olympics, and it’s a great time to shine a light-weight on a few of the issues happening right here,” she mentioned.
Stecklein spoke after a latest observe in St. Paul with the Minnesota Frost, the Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League workforce that counts three of the opposite 4 Minnesotans on the U.S. Olympic squad: Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle.
The Frost performed a house sport the day after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and feelings within the enviornment have been excessive.
“Representing our nation, representing our state, we get to do it at a sporting occasion, however there’s so many individuals that do it each day, that do it with grace and humility and selflessness and with love and care for his or her neighbor,” Pannek mentioned.
Jessie Diggins, the top-ranked cross-country skier on this planet, grew up within the Twin Cities metro space. She lately posted on social media how tough she has discovered being so distant throughout the unrest and the way decided she might be to honor the folks in her state.
“I’m racing for an American individuals who stand for love, for acceptance, for compassion, honesty and respect for others. I don’t stand for hate or violence or discrimination,” Diggins mentioned.
Her cross nation teammate, Zak Ketterson, echoed that satisfaction in calling the Twin Cities his residence.
“Regardless of the latest turmoil and unhappy occasions within the metropolis, I do know it doesn’t mirror the kindness and love of the individuals who stay right here,” Ketterson mentioned on Instagram.
Biathlete Margie Freed, who’s additionally from Minneapolis, advised AP in a video interview from Italy that she was impressed by folks demonstrating in opposition to the immigration crackdown at residence.
“Seeing the entire folks come collectively, whether or not it’s like slightly vigil or it’s driving somebody the place they should go, it’s actually heartwarming and it reveals that there’s numerous love,” Freed mentioned.
Bellisle reported from Seattle.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
