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Team USA has revealed that speed skater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca have been selected as flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
Jackson was the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics when she achieved the feat at the 2022 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Del Duca is a United States Army sergeant competing in his second Olympics.
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Erin Jackson of the United States raises an American flag after winning the gold medal in the women’s 500-meter speed skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, file)
“Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor,” Jackson said in a statement. “It’s a moment that reflects more than just one individual: it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport. The Olympic Games remind us of the power of sport to connect and inspire, and I’m proud to continue that on the Olympic stage.”
Jackson will compete in the 500-meter race with Sarah Warren and the 1,000-meter race with Brittany Bowe.
Del Duca said he was surprised to be chosen as standard bearer.
Frank Del Duca, driver of the fourth-placed U.S. team, greets fans after the 4-man bobsleigh event at the Bobsleigh World Championships, March 15, 2025, in Lake Placid, New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
MILAN CORTINA 2026 OLYMPIC GAMES: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S WINTER GAMES
“It means a lot. It really does. It means a lot,” he said. “It would be cool anywhere, but the fact that it’s in Italy, I think our family is even more excited. My grandparents aren’t here anymore, but they always supported Italy and the United States. And they said the perfect day would be for the Italians and the Americans to compete for gold. So, yeah, it’s cool. It’s a cool opportunity.”
Del Duca finished fourth in both the two-man and four-man bobsleigh events at last season’s world championships in New York. He finished 13th in both races in his Olympic debut four years ago.
People take photos in front of the rings of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Cortina D’Ampezzo, November 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)
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The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics will begin on Friday.
