Guidelines on how to Glimpse the 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan
While the 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off some events earlier this week, the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony will air are dwelling Feb. 6 on NBC and Peacock starting put at 2 p.m. ET.
Cue the trumpets, the 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived.
Indeed, the Milano Cortina Video games will formally welcome its greater than 3,500 athletes with neatly-known particular person-studded performances and current fanfare all the procedure in which thru the venerable Opening Ceremony, kicking off Friday, Feb. 6 from Italy’s ancient San Siro Stadium.
The three-hour festivities—that might presumably encompass appearances by Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and The White Lotus alum Sabrina Impacciatore—will air are dwelling on NBC and creep on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms, including the legitimate internet dwelling, starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
The ceremony will then re-air for U.S. audiences in primetime at 8 p.m. ET.
Though Savannah Guthrie modified into at the starting put affirm to steer the coverage of the Opening Ceremony for NBC, she stepped relief earlier this week amid the learn about for her lacking mother Nancy Guthrie. Her cohost Terry Gannon will now stand alongside Mary Carillo, and the pair shall be joined by three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White.
“The Olympics had been such an monumental portion of my existence, and to reach on this fresh role—celebrating the athletes, the vitality, and the unbelievable backdrop of Italy—is truly an honor,” Shaun said in an announcement. “I know what that moment formulation when the arena is looking at, and I’m capable of’t wait to relief raise that magic to all people at dwelling.”
At some stage within the Video games, athletes like Lindsey Vonn and Chloe Kim shall be vying for gold of their downhill events from the mountains of Cortina, while curler Korey Dropkin and speedskater Jordan Stolz will compete of their ice sports actions in Milan.
Given the 2 host cities, the Olympics will mild two cauldrons all the procedure in which thru the Opening Ceremony for the first time ever—one in Cortina’s Piazza Dibona and the different at the Arco della Stride in Milan—in characterize to symbolize the harmony between the 2 areas.
And while the Video games won’t award its first medal unless Feb. 7, many sports actions have already started their global competition, with preliminary rounds of alpine skiing, curling, ski leaping, snowboarding, figure skating and ice hockey kicking off earlier this week.
Sooner than the Opening Ceremony starting put at 2 p.m. ET, learn on to fulfill one of the most thrilling individuals of Team USA.
Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing
Shiffrin might presumably perchance presumably be a three-time Olympic medalist, but the 30-year-mature skier is in search of to procure redemption heading into her fourth Olympics after her disappointing results at the 2022 Beijing Video games and a upsetting smash in November 2024, whereby she suffered a puncture to her abdomen that required surgical operation to restore.
“I feel very responsive to the full issues that might presumably happen that I’m capable of't ask,” Shiffrin instructed TIME in December. “I know totally that we might presumably perchance carry out all the pieces correct on paper and it might well presumably perchance no longer stop up with a medal. But I feel truly connected with my coaches, with the workers, with all people around me, and that's constructing in a style that, whatever comes up, we'll be capable to address it together. That's the easiest I’m capable of carry out.”
Shiffrin's make stronger crew has long integrated Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, but now she's engaged to her fellow Alpine specialist.
“He's sure, he's telling me, 'Correct undergo in mind, it's going to be OK,'” she instructed Olympics.com. “And especially final season, there had been some moments where I in point of fact wondered why I modified into in search of to reach and if that modified into too powerful, too rapidly, if it's no longer which which you might perchance deem of. And he modified into like, ‘Hi there, you know yourself greater. You're making an are trying your hardest. If it doesn't work, that's also OK.’”
Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing
Plagued by knee accidents, Vonn retired from competition in 2019 after competing in 5 Winter Olympics, a success gold in downhill and bronze in Tidy-G in 2010 and adding one other bronze in downhill in 2018.
But after undergoing a existence-changing partial correct knee-substitute in 2024 that left her free from anguish for the first time since her first knee surgical operation in 2013, she felt that familiar need for velocity.
“Board calls are good, but they’re no longer truly the the same as downhill,” the 41-year-mature instructed NBC Information in December. “And investing is gargantuan, on the different hand it’s also no longer the the same. I constructed a gargantuan existence exterior of skiing, but there’ll by no formulation be anything like skiing, and I fully take into accout that, and I’m gay with that. But I’m indubitably going to luxuriate in this final little bit of adrenaline, due to I won’t glean it relief.”
When Vonn crashed all the procedure in which thru a Jan. 30 World Cup bustle in Switzerland and wanted to be airlifted off the mountain, that might presumably have spelled curtains for her comeback.
However the mature athlete, who previously said she modified into “exciting to possibility all the pieces,” declared herself match ample to compete within the ladies's downhill Feb. 8 in Cortina d'Ampezzo (which is internet hosting skiing, snowboarding and sliding sports actions, while skating, curling, and so on. will happen in Milan), no matter suffering a ruptured left ACL.
“I’m no longer letting this scuttle thru my fingers,” she said at a Feb. 3 press convention. “I’m no longer crying. My head is high, I’m standing good and I’m going to carry out my only.”
Jessie Diggins, Harmful-Country Skiing
Essentially the most decorated immoral-nation skier in U.S. history, Diggins is competing in her fourth and supreme Olympics.
And the Afton, Minn., native is headed to Italy with a reason.
“I glean to resolve who I’m racing for every single day, and how I should are dwelling up to my values,” the 34-year-mature wrote on Instagram Jan. 31. “For everyone available caring for others, preserving their neighbors, and meeting folks with like—every single step is for you. YOU are these who carry out me proud to raise the flag, and I am hoping I’m capable of raise you pleasure over these next few weeks.”
Nonetheless, once she retires, she instructed NPR's All Things Belief of, “I'm correct furious to in point of fact carry out a large range of gardening and most of all be dwelling with my husband and have that time together.”
Jordan Stulz, Stride Skating
Stolz made his Olympics debut at 17 in Beijing and, while he performed far from the podium four years ago, he's a popular to dominate within the 500, 1,000, and 1,500-meter events, moreover to within the mass inaugurate (a 16-lap, 6,400-meter bustle), at the Milan Cortina Video games.
“If I’m capable of have finest races, I deem I in point of fact have the easiest potentialities out of relatively a large range of oldsters to fetch gold,” the 21-year-mature instructed the Associated Press in January. Requested how he handled the burden of expectations, he answered, “As long as nothing gets within the formulation, then I in point of fact should be fine. I’ve had a large range of high-stress races, I converse you doubtlessly can explain, so I don’t deem that’s that monumental of an topic.”
Erin Jackson, Stride Skating
As the first Shaded American lady to fetch a medal in velocity skating—and the first Shaded lady to fetch a particular person gold medal at the Winter Olympics—four years ago in Beijing, 500-meter champion Jackson is returning to the 2026 Video games as a flag bearer within the Feb. 6 Opening Ceremony, sharing the respect with bobsledder Frank Del Duca.
“Being chosen to symbolize the USA on the arena stage is a wide honor,” the 33-year-mature from Ocala, Fla., said in an announcement. “It's a moment that reflects far greater than one person—it represents my family, my teammates, my fatherland, and all people all the procedure in which thru the nation who believes within the skill of sport.”
And while she isn't calling it a profession correct yet, Jackson's post-retirement plans encompass starting her delight in organization to relief younger Shaded athletes pursue their velocity skating wishes.
“I deem representation is monumental valuable due to it helps to learn about somebody equivalent to you attaining something, and we haven’t in most cases had that in winter sports actions, and velocity skating, particularly,” she instructed NBC Olympics. “I in point of fact rob on the accountability with pleasure of being a face that others can learn about to and perchance glean out and strive the sports actions. I should carry out whatever I’m capable of to carry out the magic happen for others.”
Chloe Kim, Snowboarding
Reasonably torn labrum, suffered in January when she dislocated her shoulder while coaching in Switzerland, wasn't going to terminate Kim from competing in her fourth Olympics, where she has the probability to fetch her third gold medal in ladies's halfpipe.
“Obviously, I'm truly upset that I’m capable of’t snowboard unless correct earlier than the Olympics, which is going to be hard,” the 25-year-mature from Torrance, Calif., said in a Jan. 13 video. “I haven't gotten in relation to the amount of reps I would've cherished, but that's OK.”
She predicted a “reasonably chill” lead-up to the 2026 Video games, telling NBC Olympics Jan 22, “I'm dwelling correct now, and I'll be heading out to Europe early next week to glean a pair of days of coaching in earlier than we head over to Milan, after which I'll be there for the gargantuan day.”
And once she modified into there, she'd be fired up and prepared to bound—correct like all people else.
“I deem the ride as a full, it's truly hard to portray,” Kim, who's been snowboarding since she modified into 4, said, “but I feel like we all extra or less modified into into peak variations of ourselves.”
Crimson Gerard, Snowboarding
Gerard modified into 17 when he won his sole gold in slopestyle at the 2018 Video games in Pyeongchang, but he's the 2-time defending X Video games champ and is hoping to raise these a success vibes to his third Olympics.
“I peaceable feel younger and I peaceable feel truly, truly healthy,” the 25-year-mature, who's at the starting put from Ohio and is now essentially based in Colorado, instructed Other folks in January. “But it indubitably has been truly cool being on Team USA since I modified into 13 or whatever…and [now] being indubitably one of the most older athletes, having the skill to offer some wisdom to the younger athletes.”
As for competing on the arena's finest stage, Gerard said, “I correct strive to reveal myself when the Olympics are coming around, it's the the same because the full other competitions. I mean, yeah, it's varied. It's on a bigger scale, and lots extra folks looking at and all that. But when it in point of fact comes all of the procedure in which down to the snowboarding, it's the the same unswerving thing. So, when that it’s likely you’ll extra or less set up your blinders on and proper hassle about what you got to carry out and deal with it the the same as you have all of your existence, that's what I consistently strive to carry out.”
Alex Ferreira, Freestyle Skiing
The 31-year-mature halfpipe specialist is competing in his third Olympics and is asking to round out his 2018 silver and 2022 bronze with his first gold medal.
“I deem that is the year I’m capable of fetch gold due to, one, I'm coming into the games healthy for the first time,” Ferreira, who modified into born in Aspen, Colo., and learned to ski at the native membership utilizing secondhand instruments, instructed the Day-to-day Particular. “And both of these cases prior, I modified into going into the games injured. The principle one, I had broken my collarbone a pair of weeks earlier than, after which the 2nd one, I had sprained my ankle. Love, three weeks earlier than, so this time I'm healthy, this time I'm a small bit older, I'm powerful extra focused, laser-focused.”
And moreover to his sister Lourdes and athlete folks Marcelo, a mature official soccer player from Argentina, and Colleen, who modified into a aggressive relay racer, he's got rescue dogs Brandy shoring up his corner.
“The article I like most about Brandy is that she's no longer counting medals,” Ferreira, an ambassador for Nulo pet food, said in an interview for the mark. “She's correct wagging her tail when I glean dwelling, so she's there for me—the honest, the immoral, the grotesque, all the pieces—and I completely need her.”
Alex Corridor, Freestyle Skiing
Corridor is headed to his third Olympics because the reigning gold medalist in slopestyle—rocketing to fresh heights four years after finishing 16th within the match within the 2018 Video games.
As neatly as to a which which you might perchance deem of repeat in slopestyle, the mellow 27-year-mature—”I got to carry out it once,” he instructed The Athletic of a success gold, which he retains in his sock drawer. “If I glean to carry out it all yet again, that’d be unbelievable”—can be in search of to enhance on an eighth-situation 2022 develop in Mountainous Air.
“Having the Olympics relief in Europe shall be thrilling, skiing on honest snow confidently, and around gargantuan mountains, which we haven’t had these past two Olympics,” Corridor—who lives in Utah but modified into born in Alaska and grew up in Zurich, where his folks are college professors—instructed POWDER journal in October 2025. “For me individually, it’s also reasonably cool due to my mother is Italian. She’s from Bologna and her complete aspect of the family peaceable lives correct within the city. A bunch of them are coming up for the Olympics, so as that can be reasonably candy.”
Jaelin Kauf, Freestyle Skiing
Competing in her third Olympics, the 29-year-mature moguls expert intends to enhance on her silver exhibiting in Beijing.
And he or she knows where to turn for suggestion about all the pieces from coaching to the procedure in which to address the stress of global competition.
Mom Patti Sherman-Kauf won two titles on the World Professional Moguls Tour—and competed while pregnant in conjunction with her daughter—while dad Scott Kauf won 5. And after her rich particular person days had been over, Patti switched to skicross and earned three X Video games bronze medals.
When Jaelin modified into born, “she didn't like to be rocked, like most infants,” Patti instructed NBC Olympics. “She cherished to be bounced.”
Restful, Jaelin “wasn't consistently equipped on rich particular person skiing itself,” she admitted to Teton Gravity Review in November 2025. “I’d rob a powder day over bumps any time. But I deem that seeing and colorful how my folks made a existence as official skiers made me are privy to it modified into a probability. Not all people grows up seeing that as a unswerving profession course, or is supported in that course, but I consistently knew that I would be.”
Also on Team Jaelin is her two-time Olympian boyfriend, retired moguls skier Bradley Wilson, and his bronze medal-a success older brother Bryon Wilson, who occurs to be Kauf's coach.
Kaillie Humphries, Bobsled
Humphries' creep has had extra twists than a bobsled bound.
Born in Calgary, the 40-year-mature won gold at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, after which a bronze in 2018, competing in two-lady bobsled for Team Canada.
She then terrorized the sporting world when she announced in 2019 that she modified into leaving the Canadian nationwide crew after 16 years, alleging she feared for her safety amid what had modified into a poisonous atmosphere prior to the 2018 Olympics.
Humphries joined the U.S. crew in 2019, but instructed the AP at the time that she modified into Canadian and “no longer giving up one for the different.”
“My feelings for Canada don't lessen, but I’m capable of like something else correct as powerful,” she explained. “And I've been dwelling within the U.S. for four years. I like an American. I married one. Then varied alternatives arose and we procure ourselves in scenarios in existence where we should carry out selections and selections.”
Humphries became an American citizen in 2021—then won gold within the inaugural monobob (i.e. one-particular person) at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Her fifth Olympics shall be her first as a mother, having welcomed son Aulden with husband Travis Armbruster in June 2024.
“We’ve consistently been instructed, ‘If you happen to have a small one, your physique will by no formulation be the the same, you’re by no formulation gonna glean relief on the podium, you’re going to trade physically and mentally, so at the same time as you’ve got a baby, your sport profession is accomplished,'” Humphries instructed The Athletic in January. “And that modified into factual for a truly long time. But we’re proving that now, at the same time as you like to have both, that it’s likely you will have both.”
Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled
Bobsledding has modified into “me time” for the now-5-time Olympian since she and husband Nic Taylor welcomed son Nico in 2020 after which son Noah in 2022. Nico has Down syndrome and both teens are deaf, the latter due to a gene mutation that both folks have, which they didn't know unless after Nico modified into born.
And no matter existence at dwelling being busier than ever, Meyers Taylor modified into exciting for her teens to learn about her at work.
“They’re gonna face challenges that I’m capable of’t even comprehend,” the 41-year-mature instructed The Athletic. “I need them to learn about that, no matter barriers, that it’s likely you’ll maintain pursuing your dream. I need them to learn about me with medals around my neck. But I also need them to learn about me glean knocked down, glean relief up and battle.”
While she has 5 medals from her four outdated Olympics, four from two-lady bobsled and the silver she got finishing 2nd to Humphries in monobob in 2022, Meyers Taylor is peaceable in search of her first gold.
Mystique Ro, Skeleton
There's a undeniable badassery constructed valid into a sport that entails hurtling headfirst on a shrimp sled down a twisty track at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour.
But Ro, the first American to medal in skeleton in 12 years at the IBSF World Championships in 2025, admittedly didn't deem it modified into for her originally.
“The coach walks me to the line, lets me bound, and all of a surprising, it’s going so rapidly, that it’s likely you’ll no longer learn about anything, that it’s likely you’ll no longer direction of anything,” she instructed The Athletic in December, recalling her first taste of the sport in 2016 after being instructed she modified into too dinky for bobsledding. “I glean to the bottom, and it’s like, ‘I’m accomplished, bye! I’m no longer doing that s–t all yet again!’”
But after paying consideration to ample folks rave about how cool it modified into, she tried it all yet again.
A decade later, the Virginia native is in her first Olympics, ready to compete in my procedure and within the mixed (co-ed) crew match, which is making its debut at the 2026 Video games.
When she's no longer coaching and touring, Ro—who's the 2nd-oldest of 11 siblings, including a twin sister who's 14 minutes younger—works as a tour manual at the Lake Placid Olympic Center, indubitably one of diverse athletes in decrease-profile sports actions who supplements her bank account with a day job.
“I work there, I dispute there, I are dwelling and breathe that atmosphere the full time,” she explained. “And tourists like it due to you have an athlete strolling you around the skill, giving you their irregular perspective. It’s truly cool, on the different hand it’s no longer going to duvet all the pieces I should carry out this sport.”
Ilia Malinin, Figure Skating
Born to folks who had been both Uzbekistani figure skating champions, Malinin took up the sport when he modified into 6—even though at the time he most widespread taking part in soccer exterior in his Virginia fatherland moderately than dispute in a cool arena.
When he modified into 17, he became the first and—to this level—only skater to successfully land a fully rotated quadruple axel in global competition, at the 2022 CS U.S. World Fundamental.
Malinin, dubbed the “Quad God,” has performed the feat various cases since and is the U.S. males's only shot at repeating in person gold in 2026, since “Quad King” Nathan Chen opted now to no longer compete within the Milan Cortina Video games.
Nonetheless, four years after he modified into handed over for a spot on Team USA, the 20-year-mature is fascinated by giving himself the easiest shot at a stable exhibiting.
“When I’m going to competitions, I don't deem regarding the medals,” Malinin said on USA This day's Milan Magic video podcast. “I consistently deem regarding the efficiency and procedure what I in point of fact should carry out, what my job is as a skater. Many of the cases, I put together myself totally so as that I’m capable of bound on the ice and bring to the easiest of my skill. And naturally, at the same time as you’ve got a tidy skate, I'm assumed that the medals can reach with you, as neatly.”
Alysa Liu, Figure Skating
Liu hung up her skates in 2022 after the Beijing Olympics and World Championships, where she won bronze.
“I started when I modified into 5 and I generally didn't terminate unless 16, and I modified into homeschooled my complete existence,” Liu instructed NBC Information in January, reflecting on her resolution to retire at 17. “And I'm a truly social particular person. I crave human connection. And I modified into dwelling by myself for a pair of years, no family, no mates around, fascinated by the sake of coaching.”
Furthermore, she persisted, “I didn't even make a choice my delight in applications, like folks set up me in dresses that I didn't should set up on, I modified into literally correct like a dressing up-up doll and I didn't should carry out it, but I felt like I had to carry out my duty of going to the Olympics for my younger self.”
She enrolled at UCLA within the tumble of 2023 and enjoyed having a typical existence. But a January skiing commute fired up her aggressive aspect, and she declared herself relief within the sport in March 2024. The 20-year-mature from Clovis, Calif., went on to fetch gold at the World Championships in 2025 and is hoping to prevent the U.S. ladies's 20-year person medal drought—preferably with extra gold—at the 2026 Video games.
When she takes the ice now, “it's fully for myself,” Liu explained. “Yeah, it's reasonably cool.”
Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Ice Dancing
The longtime partners are competing of their fourth Olympics, but first since getting married in June 2024.
“I deem it correct truly solidified our dedication to at least one one more and our dedication to our craft,” Chock instructed E! Information in December. “We already had this kind of deep realizing and bond thru skating, but since we've been married, I in point of fact feel like we correct rob all the pieces on as partners and champion one one more on and off the ice in whatever endeavor we're pursuing.”
While they shared a crew gold medal with the relief of the U.S. figure skating crew in Beijing in 2022, the three-time world champions are peaceable in search of their first Olympic medal as a pair.
“We're working hard and been hanging within the hours and hanging within the work,” Bates instructed E!,” “but we're so grateful for every day and for the different.”
And even though the 36-year-mature and Chock, 33, haven't said whether this will presumably be their final Olympics or no longer, they know they're getting nearer to their monumental finale.
“We’ve tried to no longer glean too emotional, correct with the nostalgia of this match and the 15-year creep that we’ve been on,” Bates instructed NBC Olympics in January at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where they went on to fetch gold. “The ultimate payback is to skate neatly, but we also should correct luxuriate in that moment, due to it’s fleeting and it might well presumably perchance totally be the final.”
Hilary Knight, Hockey
The U.S. ladies's nationwide crew mature, who won gold in 2018, has confirmed that Milan Cortina shall be her fifth and supreme Olympics—that might presumably give the 36-year-mature the sage for most Olympic appearances by any American hockey player, man or lady.
And while Knight would prefer to skate off with one other gold medal, she instructed This day.com, “Half of our roster, presumably powerful extra, has by no formulation been to the Olympics. That's a gargantuan deal, so making sure all people is gay and capable of play up to their factual likely. We have some unbelievable gamers, and if we're going to glean them to play the full formulation up to plump scale like that, that's going to be elite for our efficiency.”
The University of Wisconsin alum has performed all the procedure in which thru, and her fresh dwelling ice is in Washington, where she's the Seattle Torrent's neatly-known particular person forward. But dwelling-home is in Salt Lake City, where she equipped a apartment with accomplice Brittany Bowe, who’s the oldest member of the U.S. velocity skating crew and shall be competing in her fourth and supreme Olympics correct weeks earlier than her Thirty eighth birthday Feb. 24.
“As top-tier athletes, you truly know what that particular person might presumably perchance need, whether it's make stronger or dwelling,” Knight instructed NBC Olympics in June 2025. “And I deem both of us being at a high stage for a reasonably long time helps us perceive one one other.”
Cory Thiesse & Korey Dropkin, Curling
The mixed doubles partners, who joined forces quickly after the 2022 Beijing Video games, shall be competing of their first Olympics together after finishing in fifth situation at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. As neatly as to their skill and labor, they've credited their complementary personalities for his or her success, which entails a 2023 world championship.
“We correct work so neatly together. We know the procedure in which to contend with unfastened and contend with within the fresh moment,” Dropkin, 30, instructed newshounds prior to the Milan Cortina Video games. “We match so neatly together persona-luminous. There's somebody that's termed us lately as 'the mild and the fire'. Cory's got that mild, assured, stoic persona on the ice. I raise that fiery, passionate vitality. The 2 mix truly neatly together.”
He and Thiesse—who's been married to Sam Thiesse since June 2022—are essentially based in Duluth, Minn., where they both have day jobs to finance their curling wishes.
Dropkin is a realtor, while Thiesse works as a lab tech for a corporation that tests mercury levels in wastewater. “I feel grateful that I in point of fact have a job that might pay the bills while I’m going compete in curling,” she instructed Duluth's ABC 10. “Here is what we’ve been dreaming of since we had been small teens.”
Source credit : eonline.com
