Olympics 2026: Meet the Team USA Athletes Going for Gold in the Milan Cortina Winter Games
Members of the U.S. Figure Skating team are going for the gold—in prioritizing their physical health.
Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, Evan Bates and Amber Glenn skipped the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6, opting to focus on their rest and recovery instead, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed to People.
“We’ll maybe have our own little Olympic small celebration,” Evan said, according to USA Today, adding how the group will “take some team photos” to mark the occasion.
Evan, 36, competed with Madison, 33, earlier in the day and placed first in the rhythm dance event qualifiers. The duo is scheduled to skate again on Feb. 7 in the afternoon—less than 24 hours after the Opening Ceremony—in the free dance segment of the team competition.
As for Ilia, 21, he is scheduled to compete on Feb. 7 in the men’s short program, while Amber, 26, will likely perform the team event’s free skate on Feb. 8.
Though they didn’t attend the ceremony with their teammates, the athletes made sure to celebrate exactly how Evan had hoped.
In a joint post on his and Madison’s Instagram, the duo showed off their new Ralph Lauren clothing as they posed for photos with their teammates in the Olympic Village.
Madison captioned the celebratory shots, “Figure Skating family photos in the Olympic Village #OpeningCeremony.”
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While the ice skaters kicked up their feet, there was plenty of action happening at the Opening Ceremony, which kicked off across its two main locations of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Mariah Carey, clad in a $15 million necklace from LEVUMA High Jewellery, and legendary Italian singer Andrea Bocelli—who performed at both Kim Kardashian‘s and Kourtney Kardashian’s Italy weddings— were among the artists who delivered show-stopping performances, while The White Lotus alum Sabrina Impacciatore paid homage to the history of her home country in an opening skit.
Other celebrities including Wicked’s Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, Maggie Rogers, Marisa Tomei and Katherine LaNasa also made the trip to Italy to cheer on Team USA. And Olympian Shaun White joined NBC’s Terry Gannon and Mary Carillo—who replaced Savannah Guthrie amid her mom’s disappearance—to host the event.
For more highlights from the 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony, keep reading…
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Benvenuto in Italia!
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 begins with the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6.
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Grand Beginning
The Opening Ceremony features the Parade of Nations and multiple musical performances.
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Fueling the Games
The Olympic torch arrives in Italy following a journey of 7,500 miles.
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The Torch Arrives
Torchbearers Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba light the Olympic cauldron.
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Official Kickoff
The Games begin as the cauldron is lit.
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Popping Off
The lively event concludes with fireworks above the stadium.
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Charlize Theron Cameo
The actress speaks out with a message on peace inspired by Nelson Mandela.
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In the Spotlight
Charlize Theron walks out on the stage, saying, “Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”
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Lighting Up the Olympics
Dancers entertain the crowd with a performance in an abstract web.
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Team Switzerland
The Swiss stars shine bright in red outfits to match their flag.
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Retro Vibes
A look inside the opening skit at San Siro Stadium.
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United
The flags of participating countries are shown.
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Ghali’s moment
Italian rapper Ghali switches things up.
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A Dolce Vita Performance
The famed Italian singer performs in his signature style.
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Italy’s President Address
President Sergio Mattarella delivers his opening remarks.
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A Word from the International Olympic Committee
The president of the IOC takes the stage to address the crowd.
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Checking Back In
The White Lotus actress Sabrina Impacciatore performs after all the athlete’s arrivals
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A Performance to Remember
Sabrina’s dance is full of on-stage flair
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Tribute to Winter Sports
The dancers don winter gear to nod toward the sports represented at Olympics 2026.
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A Grand Finale
The dancers join together for one last pose on stage.
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All Set
With every country represented, the athlete procession comes to an end.
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Team USA
Born in the USA. The patriotic team waves their flags as they head into the arena.
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JD Vance & Usha Vance
The US Vice President and his wife support Team USA.
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Land of the Free, Home of the Brave
Team USA greets the crowd inside the arena.
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First, Let’s Take a Selfie
Women from Team USA group together for a quick pic.
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Team Ireland
Great craic. The Irish athletes head into the arena.
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Team North Macedonia
A sunny moment. Team North Macedonia waves their flag.
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Team Denmark
Go’dav! The Denmark athletes make their mark.
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Team Lebanon
Going with a theme. Team Lebanon takes colors from their flag to curate their outfits.
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Team France
Bonjour! The French athletes sport white and wave their flag to enter the games.
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