US Olympics rename ‘Ice House’ amid protests against federal agents.

Introduction to the 2026 Winter Olympics

All attention will turn to Italy as it hosts the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, marking a historic first for the Games by being co-hosted by two cities. This will be the inaugural Olympics under International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and Italy’s third time hosting the event. The hosting rights were awarded to the Italian bid on June 24, 2019, defeating a joint proposal from Stockholm and Åre in Sweden.

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Ceremonies and Schedule Overview

The opening ceremony is set for Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy’s largest stadium and one of Europe’s biggest, while the closing ceremony will occur at the historic Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater. The Games officially run from February 6 to February 22, with the first medals awarded on February 7 in disciplines like alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, speed skating, ski jumping, and snowboarding. NBC will broadcast select events on its cable channels, with full live streaming available on Peacock.

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Sports and Medal Events

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature 16 sports across 116 medal events, including the debut of ski mountaineering. Notably, NHL players will participate for the first time since 2014. This edition returns to Europe after two decades, following the 2006 Turin Games, and highlights the U.S.’s position as less dominant in winter sports compared to summer events, where they placed third in total medals and tied for third in golds at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, behind powerhouses Norway and Germany.

Participating Nations and Key Policies

Russian and Belarusian athletes are prohibited from competing under their national flags due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, instead participating as Individual Neutral Athletes. Newcomers to the Winter Olympics include Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates. For more details on sports coverage, including stories like U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn’s recent crash, visit Fox News Sports or follow their updates on X and the Sports Huddle newsletter.

Team USA’s Olympic Aspirations

Team USA aims to elevate its standing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, seeking to surpass its recent performances where it placed third in medals at the 2022 Beijing Games and fourth in 2018 Pyeongchang. Although the U.S. led in total medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, it only secured nine golds. This year, the team hopes to outshine powerhouses like Norway, Germany, and Canada, with competitions kicking off on Friday. Fans are encouraged to follow key athletes across various disciplines as Team USA strives for dominance in Italy.

Standout Figure Skating Contenders

In women’s singles figure skating, Alysa Liu, now 20, enters the Games with momentum from gold medals at the 2025 World Championships and Grand Prix Final, alongside teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito. Maxim Naumov joins the men’s singles after overcoming personal tragedy—losing both parents in a plane crash—earning a bronze at the U.S. Championships. Meanwhile, husband-and-wife duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in ice dance, fresh off multiple U.S. and Grand Prix titles, aiming for their first individual Olympic medals after contributing to the 2022 team gold.

Stars in Snowboarding, Bobsleigh, and Speed Skating

Snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim pursues a third consecutive halfpipe gold despite a recent shoulder dislocation, having dazzled since her 2018 debut at age 17. Bobsleigh veteran Elana Meyers Taylor returns for her fifth Olympics in monobob, building on her historic fifth medal in 2022 as the first Black woman to achieve the feat. Speed skater Erin Jackson, the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in the sport, defends her 500-meter title and teams up for the 1,000-meter race, looking to add to her groundbreaking legacy.

Alpine Skiing and Hockey Highlights

Alpine skiing icons Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin headline the slopes; Vonn, with one gold and two bronzes, fights through a recent injury for her fifth Games, while Shiffrin rebounds from 2022 setbacks with recent World Championship golds. In hockey, Hilary Knight leads the women’s team in her final Olympics, boasting a 2018 gold and multiple silvers. The men’s squad features NHL stars like Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes, returning to Olympic ice after over a decade, starting group play against Latvia on February 12 amid renewed rivalries.

Name Change Announcement

U.S. Olympic officials have renamed the American athletes’ hospitality space from “Ice House” to “Winter House” in response to protests in Italy concerning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involvement in security at the Games. The change comes amid growing outrage over ICE operations in the U.S. The space is intended as a gathering spot for American Olympic figure skaters, speedskaters, ice hockey players, and their families to host meet-and-greets, medal celebrations, watch parties, and other events, as reported by Reuters. The venue will be featured in NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games.

Purpose and Vision of the Venue

In a joint statement, U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey, and U.S. Speedskating explained that the hospitality concept was designed to provide a private, distraction-free environment for athletes, families, and friends to celebrate the Winter Games experience. They noted that the new name better captures this vision by connecting to the season and the event. The name change was first reported by USA Today.

ICE’s Security Role Explained

ICE agents will assist in security for U.S. officials during the Winter Games, supporting diplomatic security details without conducting immigration enforcement operations, according to U.S. Embassy officials and the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS clarified that ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit is helping the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation authorities to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations, with all security operations remaining under Italian authority.

Protests and Local Reactions

Protests have erupted in Italy over ICE’s involvement, with banners reading messages like “No thank you, from Minnesota to the world, at the side of anyone who fights for human rights” and “Ice only in Spritz,” as reported by The Associated Press. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that ICE would not be welcome in the city, referencing images of masked agents in Minneapolis and criticizing ICE operations amid controversies, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed to this report. For more sports coverage, follow Fox News Digital’s sports on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.