The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, officially began Friday with the opening ceremony, featuring nearly 3,000 athletes from around the world, including a contingent of "Individual Neutral Athletes" (AIN) representing athletes from Russia and Belarus. The Games, which will run through February 22, mark the first time the Winter Olympics will be shared between two host cities and will include 116 medal events, according to CBS News.
The AIN designation, which stands for "Athlètes Individuels Neutres," allows athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports who qualified for the Games to compete, as both nations are banned from competing under their own flags due to doping scandals and the ongoing war in Ukraine, CBS News reported. The opening ceremony's Parade of Nations saw athletes march in, grouped by country, with each delegation led by flagbearers. For Team USA, speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca were chosen to carry the flag.
Team USA is bringing approximately 230 athletes to the Games, hoping to add to their impressive medal count of 330 Winter Olympic medals through Beijing 2022, second only to Norway, according to CBS News. American athletes to watch include freestyle skier Alex Ferreira, who has already secured a silver and bronze medal in previous Olympic appearances. "It's awesome representing Team USA, because I look at us and I think we're the best team in the world, and then it's special," Ferreira told CBS News.
The opening ceremony also featured the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, with two cauldrons present this year, one in Milan and one in Cortina. The opening ceremony outfits, including Team USA's designs by Ralph Lauren, were on display as athletes proudly donned their countries' uniforms.
The Games will include the debut of ski mountaineering as an Olympic event. American star Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old ski racer from Colorado, participated in an official Olympic training event for Women's downhill skiing on Friday, marking her first time on the slopes after recovering from a torn ACL, CBS News reported. Her first competitive Olympic event, the women's downhill, is scheduled for Sunday. The Paralympics will follow the Winter Games, taking place from March 6 to March 15.
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