Team USA curler, a lawyer from Minnesota, tells CBS News that people’s “rights are not followed” in his state.

Two-time national wrestling champion Rich Ruohonen said he was proud to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, even though it was “tough” in his hometown of Minnesota.

“I’m a lawyer there. I’ve been there for 28 years, and a lot of tragedy, a lot of difficulties. And, you know, we want to focus on the games, but at the same time, what’s happening there is not right,” Ruohonen told CBS News when asked how it happened at the Olympics and thinking about the news that has come out of his country. In recent weeks, immigration agents have killed two people in a mass shooting in Minneapolis while on duty.

“We have inalienable rights in our constitution: Freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the right not to be subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures and not be pulled, you know, without probable cause. And those rights are not followed in Minnesota,” said Ruohonen.

Despite the turmoil at home, Ruohonen told CBS News that the Olympics showcased some of the best of what it means to be a Minnesotan, and an American. As CBS Minnesota reported On Tuesday, Ruohonen, 54, became the oldest American to ever compete in the Winter Games.

“The Olympics, they bring this unity, this respect and this compassion, and Minnesota has shown and used that,” Ruohonen said. “Respect, compassion, empathy for people is sometimes lacking in our country, but we, I don’t want to make any mistake about it, we play for the US. We love the US. We love the US. We love what the flag is and what it stands for. And we’re here to support our families and our friends who sacrificed so much to be here today.”

Luc Violette, another member of the USA Curling National Team, said that a large number of American fans traveled to Cortina, Italy, to support the athletes.

“The USA is everywhere. We felt really welcome here and we continue to feel (welcomed),” he said.

On Tuesday, Corey Thiesse became the first US woman to win an Olympic medal when she won silver alongside Korey Dropkin.

But curling is a sport that most Americans are very familiar with.

“I mean, I’ll be honest. It’s weird,” Violette told CBS News. “Whoever came up with this game is crazy. I still don’t know. There are still parts of the physics that we don’t understand, but … it brings a lot of skills together. Our coach always says the best curler is a complete person, so we love it, and we hope this kind of exposure will share that love with more of us.”

Ruohonen said the game has changed a lot over the years.

Thirty years ago, for example, “it wasn’t a physical game,” he said. “You can win and be very fat, or smoke a cigarette in the snow.”

He said “the game has progressed to an unbelievable level in my lifetime.”

“When you’re sweeping, you’re leaning most of your weight on your broom and you’re moving it back and forth. And you’re on your tippy toes a lot. So you have to be strong,” he said. “You’ve got to have a strong upper body. You’ve got legs. You’re always coming out of the lunge area. That in itself is hard. And I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to just stand on the ice, let’s say six, eight hours a day. Just stand there, do nothing at the same time and see how your back feels and how your muscles feel, because when we play on the ice two to eight hours a day.”

Team USA curlers said they spent a lot of time explaining the game. So what is it all about?

“I usually associate it with bocce ball,” Violette told CBS News. “It’s about what you’re going to hit in the end, after all, stones are being thrown [curling stones] closer to the place than someone who is very close to the opposing team. And yes, sweeping makes the rock move forward. And there’s the direction factor. We can make it more folded, less folded. It is called folding because the stones bend or curve. And it’s hard. Come and try it.”