The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics officially kicked off on Friday, February 6, with the opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, marking the start of the games that will feature over 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees. The United States boasts the largest contingent with over 230 athletes, followed by Canada and host nation Italy.
The opening ceremony, which began at 2 p.m. ET, included the iconic Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic flame, along with performances from various artists, according to CBS News. This year's games are unique, as the Winter Olympics take a multi-centered approach, with celebrations spread across multiple venues in Italy, rather than being confined to a single stadium, as reported by CBS News.
Early rounds of competition began two days prior to the opening ceremony, with events scheduled to continue through the closing ceremony on February 22. The Paralympics will follow in March. American viewers will need to account for the time difference, as Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, according to CBS News.
Among the athletes competing is Team USA's Jonathan Gustafson, who will participate in the men's single luge. "I would describe luge as really just extreme sledding," Gustafson told CBS Mornings. "Like anything any kid does when they're younger, get that plastic tube and down a hill. We're pretty similar to that, just a lot more advanced." This will be Gustafson's second time competing in the Winter Games, after participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to CBS News.
American star Lindsey Vonn also participated in an official Olympic training event for women's downhill skiing on Friday, marking her first time on the slopes after rupturing her left ACL in a World Cup race a week prior, CBS News reported. Her first competitive Olympic event, the women's downhill, is scheduled for Sunday.
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