Though several of the competitions began earlier in the week, Friday’s ceremonies mark the formal opening of the Winter Olympics hosted by Milan and Cortina in northeast Italy — and, honestly, the Games couldn’t come at a better time.
Our country is deeply fractured and dysfunctional in many ways, with seemingly each new day delivering further evidence of both. But we are also Americans, people who take pride in our nation, who believe in its promise and who want to see it succeed.
Rooting for Team USA in the Olympics — reveling in their wins, lamenting their losses — is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those remarkable athletes who compete on our behalf and remember, for at least a few weeks, the ties that bind us together.
It begins with a dream — a young woman who falls in love with figure skating or hockey, a young man enamored by ski jumping or speed skating. For years, they dedicate their lives to honing their skills, spending countless hours hard at work and, for many, pouring vast sums into coaching and travel.
They seek a shot at glory — of reaching the pinnacle of their sport at the perfect moment, when the world turns its focus to the Olympics. We admire their dedication, perseverance and drive, even though we will never understand the sacrifices they’ve made to reach for the top.
But as we learn about them and their journey to Milan, we are inspired. And we support them because they are us, Americans, wearing the red, white and blue and competing in the hope of standing atop the podium, gold medal around their neck, when “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays and the U.S. flag unfurls.
This year, the United States has sent a staggering 232 athletes to compete in the Winter Games, the largest delegation in history. While states such as Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan dominate the ranks, Team USA also includes three athletes from the commonwealth.
Mystique Ro of Nokesville is competing in the skeleton, Brandon Kim of Fairfax is competing in short track speed skating, and Ilia Malinin of Vienna is competing in figure skating. All will be making their first Olympic appearances, and all are among the favorites in their sports.
Ro, 31, was originally a track athlete who tried out for bobsledding, only to be told she was too small to be a “push athlete.” Handed a skeleton sled, she warmed quickly to the sport, in which competitors can reach up to 80-90 mph, and arrives in Italy after winning two medals in the 2025 world championships.
Malinin, 21, was described by reporter Sally Jenkins in an Atlantic profile this month as “The man who broke physics” for successfully landing seven quadruple jumps amid a competition in which no other skater landed more than four. He was the first and only person to land a “quad axel” in competition — a jump that asks the skater to take off facing forward, then execute a blind backward landing, on the opposite foot, per Jenkins. His performances will be can’t-miss events.
Kim, 24, has been a speed skating star for years but a poor performance at the 2021 Olympic trials meant he missed out on the 2022 Games in Beijing. Determined to avoid repeating that setback, Kim won gold medals at September’s U.S. Championships in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,500-meter races and will arrive in Italy ready to compete for gold.
As they take their turn on the world stage, each will be propelled by their commitment and hard work. They will be backed by family and friends, some of whom will be there to watch. And they will enjoy support from across the commonwealth, as we watch them exhaust everything they have in pursuit of a medal.
Americans cannot ignore that the Winter Games come at a tenuous time for our country, but we also need to make time for joy, for excitement and for togetherness wherever we can. The Olympics, for all their faults, are such an opportunity, and we should treasure them as we cheer our athletes to victory.
