Listen to this article with a free account
A speedskater from Florida who won Olympic gold in Beijing four years ago and a bobsledder from Maine making his second Olympic appearance will carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, officials announced Tuesday.
Erin Jackson, who won a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Games and bobsledder Frank Del Duca, a pilot in bobsledding who competed in Beijing, were announced as the flag bearers by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Follow along for live updates
Del Duca and Jackson were also announced on the “TODAY” show on Tuesday morning.
They were chosen by a vote of their fellow Team USA athletes.
“Being chosen by their fellow athletes is a powerful reflection of the respect they’ve earned through their leadership, commitment, and the way they represent Team USA every day,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said. “Erin and Frank embody the values of excellence and unity that define our Olympic Team, and we’re proud to have them lead Team USA onto the world stage.”
Frank del Duca, pilot of the United States team, after the 4-man bobsled event at the Bobsled World Championships, in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2025.Seth Wenig / AP file
Del Duca, 34, of Bethel, Maine, competed in the two-man and four-man competitions in Beijing but did not win a medal. The U.S. men last medaled in bobsled in 2014.
Del Duca is also an Army sergeant stationed in Lake Placid, New York, according to his bio with Team USA. He joined the Army in August 2019 and is part of its World Class Athlete Program.
He told the “TODAY” show that being the flag bearer is “something special” and that “having the support of our teammates and Team USA as a whole is the utmost honor.
“It was also quite the surprise,” Del Duca said, according to the USOPC release.
Frank Del Duca and Charles Volker, of the United States, start their third run in the two-man bobsled at the Bobsledding World Championships, in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2025.Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP file
“It’s a story of wearing two uniforms and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said of his Army experience on “TODAY.” He said his experience in the Army and his experience on Team USA “complement each other” and that he “learned a lot in the Army that made him a better father and teammate.”
“With the Olympic Games being held in Italy, it means even more. Nearly everyone in my family is of Italian descent,” Del Duca told USOPC. “There is no greater honor than leading Team USA into the Opening Ceremony in Italy. It feels like a bridge between my family’s heritage, and the country I’m so proud to serve. I know my grandfather is watching over me saying,