MILAN — Utah resident and Olympic champion speedskater Erin Jackson led Team USA into the Olympic opening ceremony alongside bobsledder Frank Del Duca at the San Siro Stadium in Milan Friday evening. The pair were selected by their peers to serve as the nation’s flag bearers, the second duo to ever do so in American history.
Flag bearers are chosen through a process led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, making the role a reflection of peer respect as much as podium success, according to United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland.
“Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor,” Jackson said. “It’s a moment that reflects far more than one individual — it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport.”
Jackson is the eighth U.S. speedskater in history to serve as an Olympic flag bearer, joining a short list that includes Erin Hamlin, who carried the flag at the 2018 Games.
The speedskater enters her third Winter Games as the defending Olympic champion in the women’s 500m. Her gold medal in the event at the 2022 Beijing Games marked the first individual Winter Olympic gold won by a Black woman and the first U.S. victory in the women’s 500m since 1994.
Born and raised in Ocala, Florida, Jackson moved to ice speed skating in 2017 after a career in inline skating, where she won 12 world championship medals and 47 national titles. Despite starting the ice sport later than most elite competitors, she has become one of the top sprinters in the world.
In Milan, Jackson will compete in the 500m on Monday and the 1,000m on Feb. 15.
“The Olympics remind us of the power of sport to connect and inspire, and I’m proud to carry that forward on the Olympic stage,” she said.
Joining her is Del Duca, a bobsledder and U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Lake Placid, New York. Del Duca is part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program and made his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 after more than a decade in bobsled.
“Being flag bearer for Team USA is an incredible honor,” Del Duca said. “It was also quite the surprise.”
Del Duca said the honor is especially meaningful with the Games being held in Italy, where his family has strong roots.
“Nearly everyone in my family is of Italian descent. 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, ‘Hey, Frangesch, way to go, kid,’ and would be so proud,” said Del Duca.
A former Division I track captain at the University of Maine, Del Duca started his bobsled career as a push athlete before transitioning to a driver, placing fourth in both the two-man and four-man events at the 2025 World Championships before earning a spot on his second Olympic team.
Del Duca is the sixth U.S. bobsledder to carry the Olympic flag, joining fellow bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who was a flag bearer in 2022.
“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,” said Hirshland. “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.”
