Us Weekly spoke with some of Team USA's biggest and brightest stars about their respective journeys to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy

Team USA announced two flag bearers for the second consecutive Winter Games

The United States is expected to be a gold-medal contender in both men's and women's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The rebrand comes as Italian officials and protesters object to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Olympic veterans, including skier Lindsey Vonn​ and bobsledders Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor, are among the seven Americans making their fifth trips to the games.

Del Duca, 34, participated in the 2022 Olympics in both the four-man and two-man bobsled events, finishing 13th in both events. Del Duca — a sergeant in the U.S. Army — said he was surprised by being chosen, but called it an "incredible honor."

Encouraging news: Team USA wanted Jack Leiter for its pitching staff. Potentially discouraging news: The previous sentence is written in past tense. Though Team USA reached out about adding the Rangers’ right-hander to its World Baseball Classic roster,

Five-time Olympian competitor Katie Uhlaender won't be joining Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport declined to respond to a petition she filed accusing Team Canada of blocking her from the Games on Monday,