{{Short description|American freestyle skier}} {{use mdy dates|date=February 2014}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Aaron Blunck | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|4|12}} | birth_place = Englewood, Colorado, U.S. | height = 6'0 in | weight = 185 lb | country = {{USA}} | sport = Freestyle skiing | event = Halfpipe | club = Ski and Snowboard Club Vail | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's freestyle skiing}} {{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalGold|2017 Sierra Nevada|Halfpipe}} {{MedalGold|2019 Utah|Halfpipe}} {{MedalCompetition|Winter X Games}} {{MedalGold|2017 Aspen|SuperPipe}} {{Medal|Silver|2020 Aspen|SuperPipe}} {{Medal|Silver|2021 Aspen|SuperPipe}} {{Medal|Silver|2022 Aspen|SuperPipe}} {{MedalCompetition|New Zealand Winter Games}} {{MedalSilver|2013 Cardrona|Halfpipe}} {{MedalCompetition|Winter Youth Olympic Games}} {{MedalBronze|2012 Innsbruck|Halfpipe}} }}
'''Aaron Blunck''' (born April 12, 1996) is an American freestyle skier from Crested Butte, Colorado.
==Career== Blunck competed in the men's halfpipe event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.<ref name="sochi2014">{{cite web|url=http://m.sochi2014.com/en/athlete-aaron-blunck|title=Aaron BLUNCK | Freestyle Skiing | United States – Sochi 2014 Olympics|publisher=m.sochi2014.com|accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref> He qualified for the final, where he placed seventh out of 12 competitors.
Blunck won the gold medal at the 2017 Winter X Games in Aspen in the men's superpipe.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2017/01/28/aaron-blunck-wins-gold-x-games-superpipe/97178834/ "Aaron Blunck Wins Gold X Games Superpipe"] ''USA Today''</ref>
During the summer, Blunck can be found at Mt. Hood, Oregon, where he hosts a Takeover Session at Windells Camp.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://windells.com/freeski-camp/ski-takeover-sessions/|title=Ski Takeover Sessions – Windells Camp|work=Windells|access-date=February 7, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=February 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122209/http://windells.com/freeski-camp/ski-takeover-sessions/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Allegations against Twitter and Western media== According to the ''South China Morning Post'', Blunck alleged that he was suspended by Twitter after he praised the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He reposted a fan's comment that read: "Aaron Blunck [is] out here telling the truth and getting punished by his own government." He later also shared a commentator's tweet accusing the US government of causing his account to be shut down: "Twitter has executed the order of the Western ruling cabals... Punishment comes pretty fast." In his Instagram post, he tagged Twitter and asked: "What'd I do?"<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2022-02-15|title=US skier says Twitter account suspended after he praised Beijing organisers|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167144/winter-olympics-us-skier-says-twitter-account-suspended-after-he|access-date=2022-02-18|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref>
Prior to his allegation, he had criticized Western media's negative coverage of the event, saying, "I didn't really know what to expect, being stateside you've kind of heard some pretty bad media, and that is completely false – it's actually been phenomenal", adding that "Everybody – from staff to Covid testers, to accommodation – it's probably, honestly, one of the better Olympics that we've been to".<ref name=":0" />
However, it was revealed that the account had been suspended in September of the previous year, over five months prior to the games. Twitter responded to the allegations saying that the account had been suspended in error and had since been recovered.<ref name=":0"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{FIS freestyle skier}} * {{U.S. Ski & Snowboard}} * {{Team USA|new_id=aaron-blunck-830685|old_id=BL/Aaron-Blunck|archive=20220421194510}} * {{X Games|new_id=aaron-blunck|old_id=3020730}} * {{Olympics.com}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{InterSportStats}} * {{Instagram}}
{{Footer World Champions Half-Pipe Men}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blunck, Aaron}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:American male freestyle skiers Category:Youth Olympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:Freestyle skiers at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics Category:Olympic freestyle skiers for the United States Category:Freestyle skiers at the 2014 Winter Olympics Category:Freestyle skiers at the 2018 Winter Olympics Category:Freestyle skiers at the 2022 Winter Olympics Category:X Games competitors Category:Sportspeople from Englewood, Colorado Category:21st-century American sportsmen