Meet Team of workers USA’s Flag Bearers for Olympic Opening Ceremony
Every Olympic video games, prominent athletes are chosen to defend Team of workers USA’s flag at the gap ceremony. Relieve reading to meet this year’s pair, speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca.
The torch has been passed to two fresh flag bearers.
Certainly, speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca—who each competed within the 2022 Chilly climate Olympics—were launched as Team of workers USA's flag bearers for the Feb. 6 opening ceremony at the 2026 Milano Cortina Chilly climate Olympics. And they also couldn’t be extra mad for the honor.
“Being chosen to picture the united states on the area stage is a big honor,” Erin, 33, stated in a Feb. 3 assertion released by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “It’s a 2nd that reflects some distance just a few particular particular person—it represents my family, my teammates, my fatherland, and everybody across the nation who believes within the energy of sport. The Olympics remind us of the energy of sport to join and back, and I’m proud to defend that forward on the Olympic stage.”
As to how the athletes were selected for the honor? Nicely, each Erin and Frank were voted by their chums on Team of workers USA.
“It draw so significant,” the Ocala, Florida, native—who turned the main Dim girl to bag a particular person gold medal at the Chilly climate Olympics in 2022—stated on Today time Feb. 3. “I without notice met one in every of my teammates within the cafeteria the day previous to this, and he used to be admire, ‘I’ve been voting for you admire loopy.’ It draw so significant. It’s a terribly substantial honor.”
For Frank—a U.S. Military Sergeant from Bethel, Maine—serving his nation in extra ways than one is a dream attain factual.
“It's form of carrying two uniforms, and I’m grateful for the alternative,” the 34-year-worn explained to Today time. “I've realized a lot through serving within the U.S. Military, and I own it's made me an even bigger bobsledder, father, husband, teammate, and staunch someway I'm very grateful for all of this.”
To meet extra of Team of workers USA’s essential particular person athletes, read on…
Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Snowboarding
Shiffrin also can very successfully be a three-time Olympic medalist, nonetheless the 30-year-worn skier is shopping for redemption heading into her fourth Olympics after her disappointing outcomes at the 2022 Beijing Games and a frightening atomize in November 2024, whereby she suffered a puncture to her abdominal that required surgical treatment to repair.
“I truly feel very responsive to the entire things that would also happen that I will't interrogate,” Shiffrin told TIME in December. “I know very successfully that we also can give up every thing staunch on paper and it will also simply no longer cease up with a medal. But I truly feel truly connected with my coaches, with the workers, with everybody around me, and that's constructing in a intention that, whatever comes up, we'll be in a position to accommodate it collectively. That's basically the most traditional I will give up.”
Shiffrin's strengthen group has lengthy incorporated Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, nonetheless now she's engaged to her fellow Alpine specialist.
“He's obvious, he's telling me, 'Honest staunch take into tale, it's going to be OK,'” she told Olympics.com. “And especially final season, there were some moments the build apart I truly puzzled why I used to be searching to return and if that used to be too significant, too rapidly, if it's no longer seemingly. And he used to be admire, ‘Hello, you respect yourself better. You're making an are trying your hardest. If it doesn't work, that's additionally OK.’”
Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Snowboarding
Plagued by knee accidents, Vonn retired from opponents in 2019 after competing in 5 Chilly climate Olympics, a hit gold in downhill and bronze in Elephantine-G in 2010 and collectively with one other bronze in downhill in 2018.
But after present process a existence-changing partial staunch knee-alternative in 2024 that left her free from effort for the main time since her first knee surgical treatment in 2013, she felt that acquainted need for velocity.
“Board calls are nice, nonetheless they’re no longer truly the identical as downhill,” the 41-year-worn told NBC News in December. “And investing is enormous, nonetheless it’s additionally no longer the identical. I constructed a massive existence outside of snowboarding, nonetheless there’ll by no draw be the rest admire snowboarding, and I fully price that, and I’m contented with that. But I’m surely going to experience this final bit of adrenaline, because I obtained’t receive it abet.”
When Vonn crashed at some stage in a Jan. 30 World Cup flee in Switzerland and had to be airlifted off the mountain, that would also procure spelled curtains for her comeback.
However the aged athlete, who beforehand stated she used to be “willing to wretchedness every thing,” declared herself match ample to compete within the females's downhill Feb. 8 in Cortina d'Ampezzo (which is web web hosting snowboarding, snowboarding and sliding sports activities, whereas skating, curling, and a lot others. will happen in Milan), despite suffering a ruptured left ACL.
“I am no longer letting this slither through my fingers,” she stated at a Feb. 3 press conference. “I’m no longer crying. My head is excessive, I’m standing tall and I’m going to give up my easiest.”
Jessie Diggins, Horrible-Nation Snowboarding
The most decorated defective-nation skier in U.S. historical previous, Diggins is competing in her fourth and closing Olympics.
And the Afton, Minn., native is headed to Italy with a cause.
“I receive to make a resolution who I’m racing for every single day, and the draw in which I would love to are living up to my values,” the 34-year-worn wrote on Instagram Jan. 31. “For everybody out there caring for others, conserving their neighbors, and meeting folks with adore—each single step is for you. YOU are the ones who create me proud to defend the flag, and I am hoping I will articulate you joy over these following couple of weeks.”
On the alternative hand, once she retires, she told NPR's All Things Regarded as, “I'm staunch mad to honestly give up a lot of gardening and most of all be dwelling with my husband and procure that point collectively.”
Jordan Stulz, Bolt Skating
Stolz made his Olympics debut at 17 in Beijing and, whereas he finished removed from the rostrum four years ago, he's a accepted to dominate within the five hundred, 1,000, and 1,500-meter events, as well to within the mass open (a 16-lap, 6,400-meter flee), at the Milan Cortina Games.
“If I will procure supreme races, I own I procure basically the most traditional probabilities out of a lot of folks to bag gold,” the 21-year-worn told the Associated Press in January. Requested how he dealt with the burden of expectations, he answered, “As lengthy as nothing gets within the intention, then I needs to be exquisite. I’ve had a lot of excessive-rigidity races, I enlighten you also can recount, so I don’t think that’s that giant of a project.”
Erin Jackson, Bolt Skating
Because the main Dim American girl to bag a medal in velocity skating—and the main Dim girl to bag a particular person gold medal at the Chilly climate Olympics—four years ago in Beijing, 500-meter champion Jackson is returning to the 2026 Games as a flag bearer within the Feb. 6 Opening Ceremony, sharing the honor with bobsledder Frank Del Duca.
“Being chosen to picture the united states on the area stage is a big honor,” the 33-year-worn from Ocala, Fla., stated in a assertion. “It's a 2nd that reflects some distance just a few particular particular person—it represents my family, my teammates, my fatherland, and everybody across the nation who believes within the energy of sport.”
And whereas she isn't calling it a profession staunch yet, Jackson's publish-retirement plans encompass starting her beget organization to abet young Dim athletes pursue their velocity skating goals.
“I own illustration is gigantic main because it helps to scuttle within the hunt for somebody admire you achieving one thing, and we haven’t in total had that in winter sports activities, and velocity skating, particularly,” she told NBC Olympics. “I truly address the accountability with pride of being a face that others can seek for to and maybe receive out and take a seek for at the sports activities. I would love to give up whatever I will to create the magic happen for others.”
Chloe Kim, Snowboarding
A small bit torn labrum, suffered in January when she dislocated her shoulder whereas coaching in Switzerland, wasn't going to end Kim from competing in her fourth Olympics, the build apart she has the likelihood to bag her third gold medal in females's halfpipe.
“Obviously, I'm truly upset that I will’t snowboard till staunch sooner than the Olympics, which goes to be laborious,” the 25-year-worn from Torrance, Calif., stated in a Jan. 13 video. “I haven't gotten almost about the volume of reps I would've cherished, nonetheless that's OK.”
She predicted a “lovely kick back” lead-up to the 2026 Games, telling NBC Olympics Jan 22, “I'm dwelling straight away, and I'll be heading out to Europe early next week to receive a few days of coaching in sooner than we head over to Milan, and then I'll be there for the substantial day.”
And once she used to be there, she'd be fired up and ready to scuttle—staunch admire everybody else.
“I own the experience as a total, it's truly laborious to describe,” Kim, who's been snowboarding since she used to be 4, stated, “nonetheless I truly feel admire we all roughly change into into peak variations of ourselves.”
Red Gerard, Snowboarding
Gerard used to be 17 when he obtained his sole gold in slopestyle at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, nonetheless he's the 2-time defending X Games champ and is hoping to articulate those a hit vibes to his third Olympics.
“I peaceable truly feel young and I peaceable truly feel truly, truly healthy,” the 25-year-worn, who's within the inspiration from Ohio and is now based in Colorado, told Of us in January. “But it completely has been truly cool being on Team of workers USA since I used to be 13 or whatever…and [now] being one in every of the older athletes, being in a position to supply some knowledge to the younger athletes.”
As for competing on the area's ideal stage, Gerard stated, “I staunch are trying and expose myself when the Olympics are coming around, it's the identical as the entire diversified competitions. I indicate, yeah, it's diversified. It's on an even bigger scale, and a lot extra folks watching and all that. But when it truly comes all of the formulation down to the snowboarding, it's the identical exact thing. So, while you happen to can roughly build apart your blinders on and staunch wretchedness about what you got to give up and address it the identical as you procure got your entire existence, that's what I continuously are trying and give up.”
Alex Ferreira, Freestyle Snowboarding
The 31-year-worn halfpipe specialist is competing in his third Olympics and is taking a seek for to round out his 2018 silver and 2022 bronze with his first gold medal.
“I own this is the year I will bag gold because, one, I'm coming into the video games healthy for the main time,” Ferreira, who used to be born in Aspen, Colo., and realized to ski at the native membership using secondhand instruments, told the Day-to-day Converse. “And each of those times prior, I used to be going into the video games injured. The main one, I had broken my collarbone a few weeks sooner than, and then the 2nd one, I had sprained my ankle. Love, three weeks sooner than, so this time I'm healthy, this time I'm a small bit older, I'm significant extra focused, laser-focused.”
And likewise to his sister Lourdes and athlete parents Marcelo, a passe legitimate soccer participant from Argentina, and Colleen, who used to be a competitive relay racer, he's got rescue dog Brandy shoring up his corner.
“The object I admire most about Brandy is that she's no longer counting medals,” Ferreira, an envoy for Nulo pet food, stated in an interview for the tag. “She's staunch wagging her tail after I receive dwelling, so she's there for me—the staunch, the dreadful, the gruesome, every thing—and I fully need her.”
Alex Hall, Freestyle Snowboarding
Hall is headed to his third Olympics as the reigning gold medalist in slopestyle—rocketing to fresh heights four years after ending 16th within the tournament within the 2018 Games.
Moreover a seemingly repeat in slopestyle, the mellow 27-year-worn—”I got to give up it once,” he told The Athletic of a hit gold, which he keeps in his sock drawer. “If I receive to give up it every other time, that’d be out of the ordinary”—is additionally taking a seek for to strengthen on an eighth-build apart 2022 give up in Enormous Air.
“Having the Olympics abet in Europe shall be thrilling, snowboarding on staunch snow confidently, and around substantial mountains, which we haven’t had these previous two Olympics,” Hall—who lives in Utah nonetheless used to be born in Alaska and grew up in Zurich, the build apart his parents are faculty professors—told POWDER magazine in October 2025. “For me personally, it’s additionally lovely cool because my mom is Italian. She’s from Bologna and her entire aspect of the family peaceable lives staunch within the metropolis. A bunch of them are rising for the Olympics, in inform which could be lovely candy.”
Jaelin Kauf, Freestyle Snowboarding
Competing in her third Olympics, the 29-year-worn moguls knowledgeable intends to strengthen on her silver showing in Beijing.
And she or he knows the build apart to turn for advice about every thing from coaching to uncomplicated the suitable technique to accommodate the rigidity of world opponents.
Mother Patti Sherman-Kauf obtained two titles on the World Pro Moguls Tour—and competed whereas pregnant with her daughter—whereas dad Scott Kauf obtained 5. And after her affluent particular person days were over, Patti switched to skicross and earned three X Games bronze medals.
When Jaelin used to be born, “she didn't prefer to be rocked, admire most infants,” Patti told NBC Olympics. “She cherished to be bounced.”
Serene, Jaelin “wasn't continuously bought on affluent particular person snowboarding itself,” she admitted to Teton Gravity Learn in November 2025. “I’d take a powder day over bumps any time. But I own that seeing and vivid how my parents made a existence as legitimate skiers made me price it used to be a likelihood. No longer everybody grows up seeing that as a precise profession direction, or is supported in that direction, nonetheless I continuously knew that I shall be.”
Also on Team of workers Jaelin is her two-time Olympian boyfriend, retired moguls skier Bradley Wilson, and his bronze medal-a hit older brother Bryon Wilson, who happens to be Kauf's coach.
Kaillie Humphries, Bobsled
Humphries' spin has had extra twists than a bobsled escape.
Born in Calgary, the 40-year-worn obtained gold at the 2010 and 2014 Chilly climate Olympics, and then a bronze in 2018, competing in two-girl bobsled for Team of workers Canada.
She then afflicted the wearing world when she launched in 2019 that she used to be leaving the Canadian nationwide group after 16 years, alleging she feared for her security amid what had turn out to be a toxic environment forward of the 2018 Olympics.
Humphries joined the U.S. group in 2019, nonetheless told the AP at the time that she used to be Canadian and “no longer giving up one for the diversified.”
“My emotions for Canada don't reduce, nonetheless I will adore one thing else staunch as significant,” she explained. “And I've been living within the U.S. for four years. I admire an American. I married one. Then diversified alternatives arose and we uncover ourselves in instances in existence the build apart we procure now to create choices and decisions.”
Humphries turned an American citizen in 2021—then obtained gold within the inaugural monobob (i.e. one-particular person) at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Her fifth Olympics shall be her first as a mom, having welcomed son Aulden with husband Travis Armbruster in June 2024.
“We’ve continuously been told, ‘Whenever you happen to procure got a child, your body will by no draw be the identical, you’re by no draw gonna receive abet on the rostrum, you’re going to alternate physically and mentally, so while you happen to procure got a child, your sport profession is done,'” Humphries told The Athletic in January. “And that used to be factual for a truly very lengthy time. But we’re proving that now, while you happen to prefer to procure each, you have to maybe well per chance maybe procure each.”
Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled
Bobsledding has turn out to be “me time” for the now-5-time Olympian since she and husband Nic Taylor welcomed son Nico in 2020 and then son Noah in 2022. Nico has Down syndrome and each young folks are deaf, the latter because of a gene mutation that each parents procure, which they didn't know till after Nico used to be born.
And despite existence at dwelling being busier than ever, Meyers Taylor used to be looking forward to her young folks to scuttle within the hunt for her at work.
“They’re gonna face challenges that I will’t even comprehend,” the 41-year-worn told The Athletic. “I would prefer them to scuttle within the hunt for that, despite barriers, you have to maybe well per chance maybe aid pursuing your dream. I would prefer them to scuttle within the hunt for me with medals around my neck. But I additionally prefer them to scuttle within the hunt for me receive knocked down, receive abet up and strive against.”
While she has 5 medals from her four previous Olympics, four from two-girl bobsled and the silver she got ending 2nd to Humphries in monobob in 2022, Meyers Taylor is peaceable searching for her first gold.
Mystique Ro, Skeleton
There's a obvious badassery constructed into a sport that entails hurtling headfirst on a tiny sled down a twisty song at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour.
But Ro, the main American to medal in skeleton in 12 years at the IBSF World Championships in 2025, admittedly didn't think it used to be for her within the inspiration.
“The coach walks me to the line, lets me scuttle, and all of a surprising, it’s going so like a flash, you have to maybe well per chance maybe no longer be taught referring to the rest, you have to maybe well per chance maybe no longer direction of the rest,” she told The Athletic in December, recalling her first taste of the sport in 2016 after being told she used to be too dinky for bobsledding. “I receive to the bottom, and it’s admire, ‘I’m done, bye! I’m no longer doing that s–t every other time!’”
But after paying attention to ample folks rave about how cool it used to be, she tried it every other time.
A decade later, the Virginia native is in her first Olympics, ready to compete personally and within the mixed (co-ed) group tournament, which is making its debut at the 2026 Games.
When she's no longer coaching and touring, Ro—who's the 2nd-oldest of 11 siblings, collectively with a twin sister who's 14 minutes younger—works as a tour book at the Lake Placid Olympic Center, one in every of diverse athletes in lower-profile sports activities who supplements her bank tale with a day job.
“I work there, I prepare there, I are living and breathe that environment the entire time,” she explained. “And tourists like it since you procure got an athlete walking you around the ability, giving you their extraordinary standpoint. It’s truly cool, nonetheless it’s no longer going to cloak every thing I procure to give up this sport.”
Ilia Malinin, Figure Skating
Born to folks who were each Uzbekistani settle skating champions, Malinin took up the sport when he used to be 6—despite the undeniable fact that at the time he hottest playing soccer outside in his Virginia fatherland somewhat than prepare in a cool arena.
When he used to be 17, he turned the main and—up to now—easiest skater to successfully land a truly rotated quadruple axel in global opponents, at the 2022 CS U.S. Global Classic.
Malinin, dubbed the “Quad God,” has accomplished the feat extra than one times since and is the U.S. males's easiest shot at repeating in particular particular person gold in 2026, since “Quad King” Nathan Chen opted no longer to compete within the Milan Cortina Games.
On the alternative hand, four years after he used to be left out for a area on Team of workers USA, the 20-year-worn is keen on giving himself basically the most traditional shot at a mettlesome showing.
“After I’m going to competitions, I don't take into tale the medals,” Malinin stated on USA Today time's Milan Magic video podcast. “I continuously take into tale the performance and take a look at what I procure to give up, what my job is as a skater. Different the times, I prepare myself very successfully in inform that I will scuttle on the ice and articulate to basically the most traditional of my ability. And naturally, while you happen to procure got a neat skate, I'm assumed that the medals can attain with you, as successfully.”
Alysa Liu, Figure Skating
Liu hung up her skates in 2022 after the Beijing Olympics and World Championships, the build apart she obtained bronze.
“I started after I used to be 5 and I in total didn't end till 16, and I used to be homeschooled my entire existence,” Liu told NBC News in January, reflecting on her resolution to retire at 17. “And I'm a truly social particular person. I crave human connection. And I used to be living by myself for a lot of years, no family, no chums around, concerned referring to the sake of coaching.”
Furthermore, she persevered, “I didn't even pick my beget packages, admire folks build apart me in dresses that I didn't would love to construct apart on, I used to be actually staunch admire a dress-up doll and I didn't would love to give up it, nonetheless I felt admire I had to give up my obligation of going to the Olympics for my younger self.”
She enrolled at UCLA within the autumn of 2023 and enjoyed having an on a typical basis existence. But a January snowboarding time out fired up her competitive aspect, and she declared herself abet within the sport in March 2024. The 20-year-worn from Clovis, Calif., went on to bag gold at the World Championships in 2025 and is hoping to cease the U.S. females's 20-year particular particular person medal drought—ideally with extra gold—at the 2026 Games.
When she takes the ice now, “it's fully for myself,” Liu explained. “Yeah, it's lovely cool.”
Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Ice Dancing
The longtime companions are competing of their fourth Olympics, nonetheless first since getting married in June 2024.
“I own it staunch truly solidified our dedication to each diversified and our dedication to our craft,” Chock told E! News in December. “We already had such a deep working out and bond through skating, nonetheless since we've been married, I truly truly feel admire we staunch take every thing on as companions and champion each diversified on and off the ice in whatever endeavor we're pursuing.”
While they shared a bunch gold medal with the rest of the U.S. settle skating group in Beijing in 2022, the three-time world champions are peaceable searching for their first Olympic medal as a pair.
“We're working laborious and been placing within the hours and placing within the work,” Bates told E!,” “nonetheless we're so grateful for every single day and for the alternative.”
And despite the undeniable fact that the 36-year-worn and Chock, 33, haven't stated whether this also can very successfully be their final Olympics or no longer, they know they're getting closer to their substantial finale.
“We’ve tried to no longer receive too emotional, staunch with the nostalgia of this tournament and the 15-year spin that we’ve been on,” Bates told NBC Olympics in January at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the build apart they went on to bag gold. “The ideal payback is to skate successfully, nonetheless we additionally would love to staunch experience that 2nd, because it’s fleeting and it will also very successfully be the final.”
Hilary Knight, Hockey
The U.S. females's nationwide group aged, who obtained gold in 2018, has confirmed that Milan Cortina shall be her fifth and closing Olympics—which is willing to supply the 36-year-worn the file for most Olympic appearances by any American hockey participant, man or girl.
And whereas Knight would favor to skate off with one other gold medal, she told Today time.com, “Half our roster, maybe significant extra, has by no draw been to the Olympics. That's a substantial deal, so making obvious everybody looks to be at liberty and in a position to play up to their factual seemingly. We procure some out of the ordinary players, and if we're going to receive them to play the entire intention up to corpulent scale admire that, that's going to be elite for our performance.”
The College of Wisconsin alum has played in every single build apart, and her most modern dwelling ice is in Washington, the build apart she's the Seattle Torrent's essential particular person forward. But dwelling-dwelling is in Salt Lake Metropolis, the build apart she bought a condo with partner Brittany Bowe, who’s the oldest member of the U.S. velocity skating group and shall be competing in her fourth and closing Olympics staunch weeks sooner than her thirty eighth birthday Feb. 24.
“As high-tier athletes, you truly know what that particular person can procure, whether it's strengthen or area,” Knight told NBC Olympics in June 2025. “And I own each of us being at a excessive level for a gorgeous very lengthy time helps us price one every other.”
Cory Thiesse & Korey Dropkin, Curling
The mixed doubles companions, who joined forces rapidly after the 2022 Beijing Games, shall be competing of their first Olympics collectively after ending in fifth build apart at the 2025 World Blended Doubles Curling Championship. Moreover their skill and laborious work, they've credited their complementary personalities for their success, which involves a 2023 world championship.
“We staunch work so successfully collectively. Every person knows uncomplicated the suitable technique to cease loose and cease within the most fresh 2nd,” Dropkin, 30, told reporters forward of the Milan Cortina Games. “We match so successfully collectively persona-wise. There's someone that's termed us lately as 'the peaceable and the fire'. Cory's got that peaceable, confident, stoic persona on the ice. I articulate that fiery, passionate energy. The 2 mix truly successfully collectively.”
He and Thiesse—who's been married to Sam Thiesse since June 2022—are based in Duluth, Minn., the build apart they each procure day jobs to finance their curling goals.
Dropkin is a realtor, whereas Thiesse works as a lab tech for a firm that assessments mercury levels in wastewater. “I truly feel grateful that I procure a job that could maybe well pay the bills whereas I’m going compete in curling,” she told Duluth's ABC 10. “That is what we’ve been dreaming of since we were small young folks.”
Source credit : eonline.com
