Ukaleq Slettemark is used to the stress of competing on the world stage as she tries to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. But the 25-year-old biathlete from Greenland is facing an extra level of anxiety as U.S. President Donald Trump keeps saying he wants to take over her country.
“It’s terrifying,” Slettemark told The Associated Press on Wednesday from Ruhpolding, Germany, where she and her brother, Sondre, are competing in the biathlon World Cup. “We are imagining the worst-case scenario and my aunt is having trouble sleeping at night. My mom, yesterday, she broke down at the stadium crying because she’s so afraid.”
The Slettemark siblings compete for Greenland in the World Cup, but if they qualify for the Olympics — they will find out next week — they will represent Denmark, because Greenland is not a sovereign nation with its own national Olympic committee.
While stressing that she is an athlete, not politician, Slettemark said the threats from the U.S. are impossible to ignore. It’s taking an extra effort to focus on training and competitions as she worries about what’s happening back at home.