US athletes cheered, JD Vance booed during Winter Olympics opening ceremony

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US athletes cheered, JD Vance booed during Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY

Fri, February 6, 2026 at 9:34 PM UTC

2 min read

Editor's note: Follow Olympics opening ceremony live updates from Milano Cortina.

MILAN — Team USA entered Friday's opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium on a chilly night in Milan to mark the symbolic start of the 2026 Winter Olympics. But unlike the weather, the Americans received a warm welcome.

As U.S. Olympians walked into the stadium in matching Ralph Lauren ensembles during the Parade of Nations, choruses of cheers rang out across the crowd of spectators, until U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, were shown on the stadium's Jumbotron. At the sight of Vance waving miniature American flags from the San Siro grandstand, the crowd booed loudly.

The U.S. was the third-to-last country to enter, preceding France, host of the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps, and host country Italy, which traditionally ends the Parade of Nations. The U.S. team was led by speed skater Erin Jackson, who proudly waved the American flag on a stage situated under gold Olympic rings.

The Parade of Nations was simultaneously held across four locations, with American athletes entering separate venues across Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina, depending on which venue hosted the athlete's event. Bobsledder Frank Del Duca served as the American flag bearer in Cortina.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off its opening ceremony, featuring the iconic lighting of the Olympic torch, on Feb. 6 from inside San Siro Stadium in Milan. Scroll through to see the whimsical performance starting with dancers performing the Olympic Rings segment.

Pyrotechnics go off around the stage during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Italian ballet dancers Antonella Albano and Claudio Coviello perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

Feb 6, 2026; Milan, ITALY; Performers on stage during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

Performers during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Matilde de Angelis during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Vittoria Ceretti, flagbearer for Milano, hands the Italian flag to the Corazzieri during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

A general view of two actors performing inside rings representing the city and mountain during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Aerialists perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

Italian actress and singer Matilda De Angelis performs during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Rings start to form the Olympic symbol during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

A general view of actors performing inside rings representing the city and mountain during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Matilda De Angelis performs on stage during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Members of the Carabinieri Corps raise the flag of Italy during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Piazza Dibona on Feb. 6, 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Italy's national flag is raised during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Recording artist Mariah Carey performs during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Laura Pausini performs the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Models wearing creations designed by Giorgio Armani walk during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Actors dressed as a symbol of Italian fashion perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Singer Mariah Carey performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

Performers on stage during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Fabric pours out from three tubes of paint from above as performers walk on stage during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

Mariah Carey performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.

Matilda De Angelis during the Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

A general view as dancers from the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Cupid (Claudio Coviello) & Psyche (Antonella Albano) perform a tribute to Italian beauty during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Feb. 6, 2026 in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy.

Go inside the whimsical 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off its opening ceremony, featuring the iconic lighting of the Olympic torch, on Feb. 6 from inside San Siro Stadium in Milan. Scroll through to see the whimsical performance starting with dancers performing the Olympic Rings segment.

Vance received verbal jeers as the country's political turmoil under the Trump administration plays out across global headlines. Ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday, staged protests against U.S. immigration's reported presence in Italy were held in Milan. A U.S. Olympic official confirmed that ICE agents weren't part of the country's delegation on Thursday, but the official couldn't confirm if agents were assisting the U.S. embassy's security plan.

President Donald Trump has frequented domestic sporting events, including the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Miami last month and Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans last year, but he was absent from the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Instead, Vance led a U.S. delegation that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Tom Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy.

Vance was seated next to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and President of the International Olympic, Kirsty Coventry. Vance's initial appearance appeared to go unnoticed by spectators, which instead cheered at the introduction of Mattarella. But the crowd let their feelings be known during the Parade of Nations.

The Israeli delegation was also booed earlier in the Parade of Nations, while Ukraine received a lengthy applause.

Earlier Friday, Vance met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and took in several performances during the team figure skating event.

Follow Cydney Henderson on X @CydHenderson

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Team USA cheered, JD Vance booed at Winter Olympics opening ceremony

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