Mikaela Shiffrin Clarifies Comments About 'Toxic' Political Atmosphere

Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin described her experience as she educated herself and voted for the 2018 midterm elections.

Two-time Olympic medalist Mikaela Shiffrin clarified comments that she made about the United States' "toxic" political climate and her uncertainty on voicing her opinion because of backlash athletes face for making a stand. 

In an interview last month, Shiffrin told CNN, "If the whole political climate wasn't as toxic then maybe it would be more attractive, maybe it would be easier for me to be proud of voting and be able to say, 'Yeah, I voted for this person and here's why,' and not feel like I'm going to get totally hammered for that."

"I don't know if that's something that eventually maybe I'll grow up enough to not be scared of that anymore, but at this point I'm not quite there," she added. 

In the interview, the 23-year-old Shiffrin said: "The thing I'm uncomfortable about in politics or with the elections is I know enough about what I don't want, but I don't know enough about what I do want." She said it's hard to be her age and feel that she's "supposed to know."

Shiffrin shared in an Instagram post on Monday saying she educated herself and voted. She urged others to "vote wisely" and "be kind to each other."

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A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin)

Shiffrin also tweeted Monday, sharing people are "entitled to their opinions," and to "be accepting of others." 

Sometimes you gotta remind yourself that no matter what you say, some people are always gonna hate it. Doesn’t matter if you aren’t disagreeing with them- if you are not actively aggreeing with them, then obviously you are in the wrong. Fundamental flaw in human nature, maybe?

— Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷️ (@MikaelaShiffrin) November 6, 2018

So just remember, you ARE entitled to your own opinions. You ARE entitled to state those opinions, and you also ARE entiled to keep them private. So just do your thang, be accepting of others.. (and don’t fall into the trap of debating just to make someone else feel like crap🤗)

— Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷️ (@MikaelaShiffrin) November 6, 2018

Over the past several years, athletes have continued to voice their opinions on the state of the country. One of the most high-profile example is Colin Kaepernick, a former 49ers quarterback who started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. In Olympic sports, skier Lindsey Vonn voiced her opinions on Trump before the Olympics and faced a barrage of hateful comments for her views.