WASHINGTON.- The American president donald trump announced Tuesday that it would award the country’s highest civilian decoration to the national ice hockey team’s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyckduring his State of the Union address to Congress.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom It has been awarded in the past to political activists, but also to Olympic athletes.
Trump’s gesture toward the men’s team came while the women’s team, which also won gold in the recently concluded Winter Olympic Gamesdeclined an invitation to attend the speech.
“Here with us is a group of winners,” Trump said as the hockey team entered Congress — the players wearing their gold medals around their necks — to chants of “USA, USA, USA.”
“Great athletes have received that,” Trump said of the award. “I thought he deserved it.”
Hellebuyck excelled in men’s gold medal victory, 2-1 over Canadawith 41 shots stopped, including a stop behind his back that made the front pages of American newspapers.
The women’s team said Tuesday that it had declined an invitation to the State of the Union address, although Trump said in his speech that “they will be coming to the White House“.
A statement from USA Hockey, the sport’s national governing body, sent to AFP on Tuesday, said the players were “unable to participate” in the annual event due to prior commitments.
The United States women’s team won gold for the first time since 2018, when it beat the Canadians on Thursday, also 2-1.
The US men’s team confirmed the feat on Sunday with its own ice hockey gold, its first in 46 years.
According to US media reports, at least five members of the men’s team did not attend the speech before Congress, since the players indicated that they were returning with their teams from the NHL to train.
Mexico and Portugal maintain the desire to play
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) said this Tuesday that it maintains, with its similar Portugal“the mutual desire” to play the pre-World Cup match on March 28 at the Azteca stadium, after doubts arose about its realization due to the wave of violence in Mexico.
“So far, the date and place of the meeting remain unchanged,” the FMF said in a statement.
Hours before, the Portuguese Football Federation had issued a statement in which he questioned his team’s attendance for the match, which will mean the reopening of the Azteca stadium, due to “the delicate situation currently experienced in Mexico.”
