The White House has officially announced that Vice-President JD Vance will lead the United States presidential delegation to the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
Delegation Details and Historic Attendees
The ceremony is scheduled for 6 February 2026, marking the official start of the Milano Cortina Games. Vance will not be attending alone; he will be joined by Second Lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the US Ambassador to Italy, Tilman Fertitta.
Adding star power to the diplomatic contingent, several celebrated former American Olympians will form part of the delegation. This includes the gold-medal-winning twin sisters from the 2018 US women's ice hockey team, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. They will be accompanied by figure skater Evan Lysacek, the 2010 Olympic champion, and short track speed skating legend Apolo Ohno, a two-time gold medalist.
A Groundbreaking Ceremony Format
The 2026 opening ceremony will break new ground for the Winter Games with an innovative, multi-venue format. While the central festivities will be held at the iconic San Siro stadium in Milan, capable of hosting tens of thousands of spectators, the traditional Parade of Nations will occur simultaneously across three mountain venues.
This marks the first time Olympic athletes will be introduced across multiple locations at a Winter Games. The parallel parades will take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno, directly integrating the Games' alpine heart into the opening celebrations.
Games Schedule and Notable Absence
Olympic competition is set to run from the opening ceremony until 22 February 2026, utilising various venues across Milan and northern Italy. In a separate confirmation, the White House stated that President Donald Trump will not attend the opening ceremony and is not listed as a member of the official delegation.
The announcement solidifies the US representation at one of the world's premier sporting events, blending high-level diplomacy with the celebration of America's Olympic heritage through its champion athletes.
