With just 19 days until the opening ceremony in Milan, Team USA is in the final stages of preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The roster includes top athletes from a variety of sports, including Lindsey Vonn and Maxim Naumov, who are ready to bring glittering gold to their country.
Athletes are practicing in their final days for major events; As reported by USA TodayPresident Donald Trump announced that a U.S. delegation will attend the opening ceremony on February 6th. The team will be led by Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, and will also include an iconic American Olympian whose very story could serve as an inspiration to today’s competitors.
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Indeed, the soul of this delegation lies in its athletes. The selection of the Lamoureux twins, Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, directly represents one of Team USA’s most dramatic modern victories. The sisters defeated Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, ending Team USA women’s hockey’s 20-year gold medal drought.
With the score tied late in regulation, Monique Lamoureux-Morando scored a come-from-behind goal. “I didn’t even watch it because I was trying to change the mood,” Jocelyn later recalled. The match then went to a shootout, where Jocelyn secured the victory with a decisive move that her sister dubbed the “Oops…I did it again” goal. So the sisters will be joined by two legends of the skating world.
Apolo Ohno, who won eight medals in short track speed skating, including gold medals in 2002 and 2006, and figure skater Evan Lysacek, the 2010 Olympic champion, will make up the distinguished U.S. delegation. This group will also witness a unique opening ceremony.
For the first time at the Winter Olympics, the traditional national parade will be held simultaneously in four locations: Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium and the mountain venues of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno. With all of this, the Milan-Cortina stage was set for Team USA to shine.
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There are plenty of opportunities to represent the United States at the upcoming Winter Olympics.
At the 2022 Beijing Games, Norway took the top spot with a total of 37 medals, including 16 gold, followed by Germany with a total of 27 medals, including 12 gold. However, the United States finished in third place with only 25 medals (9 gold medals) and is expected to be at the top of the medal podium at this Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Turning to the women’s figure skating team, which consists of Amber Glenn, Alisa Liu, and Isabeau Levit, the team is determined to end a 20-year singles medal drought. “That was the most intense reaction I’ve ever had in skating,” said Glenn, who won the national gold medal with a score of 233.55. Next was Liu in second place with 228.91 points, and Levit in third place with 224.45 points.
Levit expressed his excitement after qualifying for the Winter Olympics, saying, “I’m going to train consistently as usual, because it’s just like any other sport, except it’s much more fun and exciting. We have a great team and a lot of great resources, so I’m really enjoying skating for this country.”
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Outside of skating, the U.S. team for alpine skiing includes Lindsey Vonn, who is preparing for her return at the Winter Olympics and has already won two World Cups this season. They include Mikaela Shiffrin, who returned from Beijing empty-handed and is demanding retribution.
Looking at the men’s figure skating roster, Ilya Marinin is poised for his first Olympic appearance alongside Maxim Naumov, who mentally qualified a year after the tragic death of his parents in the Potomac River crash.
Therefore, the presence of such a legend in the US delegation at the opening ceremony will have a positive impact on the participating athletes, giving them motivation to bring glory to their country at the Winter Olympics.
post 19 days before the Winter Olympics, President Donald Trump announces US delegation could impact team success It first appeared basically sports.