On a day when Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse made U.S. curling history by winning silver medals at the Mixed Doubles Olympics, American curler Rich Ruohonen used the platform to turn the spotlight to his home state of Minnesota.
Rohonen, a St. Paul native, spoke at the press conference about the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in his hometown, which resulted in the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by agents.
advertise
The killings and ICE’s aggressive enforcement tactics on the streets of Minneapolis sparked outrage and protests in Minnesota and beyond. Lawyer Rohonen cited the U.S. Constitution and declared that “what happened in Minnesota was wrong” and that “there is no gray area.”
‘What’s happening in Minnesota is wrong’
Rohonen began his statement by saying he was “proud to represent Team USA and represent our country.”
Then he turned his attention to Minnesota.
“This happens right where we live,” Rohonen said. “As you know, I’m a lawyer, and we have a constitution that allows us a free press, free speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, and makes it necessary for us to have probable cause to be stopped.
advertise
“What’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There’s no gray area. It’s obvious. I really love what’s happening there right now – people stepping up and showing love and compassion and integrity and respect to people they don’t know and helping them out. We love Minnesota for that.”
Ruohonen, 54, is a two-time national curling champion and has represented Team USA twice at the World Curling Championships (2008 and 2018). He never competed in the Olympics.
He was an alternate on the men’s curling team at the Cortina Games in Milan, led by captain Danny Casper. He is not guaranteed to play. But if he competes, he will become the oldest American athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.
advertise
He went on to talk about what it means to have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.
“I want to make it clear that we are here and we love our country,” Rohonen continued. “We play for Team America, we play for Team America, we play for each other, we play for our families and friends who have sacrificed so much to be here today…
“The Olympics are about excellence, respect, friendship, and I think all of us embody that. We’re fighting for the people of Minnesota and people across the country who share the same values.”
