When the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6, Erin Jackson — the first Black woman to ever win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics — will be carrying the stars and stripes for Team USA.
The 33-year-old speed skater was selected through a vote by her fellow athletes to carry the American flag alongside bobsledder Frank Del Duca during the Parade of Nations.
“It means so much. It’s a really big honor,” she told Today about being chosen by roughly 230 of her Team USA teammates.
As for the moment she and Del Duca—an Italian American veteran returning to compete in the country of his family’s heritage—will share while leading the U.S. delegation, Jackson expects it to be “overwhelming.”
“I’m really excited. It’ll be cool to have my teammates next to me,” she said.
Jackson, who is returning to the Olympics for the third time to defend her 500-meter gold medal, is one of six Black women representing Team USA this year. She is joined by 28-year-old bobsledder Kaysha Love, 22-year-old hockey star Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to make Team USA’s Olympic hockey roster, 31-year-old skeleton racer Mystique Ro, 29-year-old bobsledder Jasmine Jones, and fellow bobsledder, 27-year-old Azaria Hill. The six athletes are also among the only competitors of African descent on the U.S. team this year.
Below, we break down everything you need to know about each one before the games kick off from Feb. 6 through Feb. 22.
Erin Jackson
The 33-year-old speed skating star from Ocala, Florida, made history at the 2022 Beijing Games as the first Black woman to win gold in an individual event at the Winter Olympics. She previously made her Olympic debut in PyeongChang in 2018 and now returns to the Games to defend her 500-meter title, this time with the added honor of serving as Team USA’s flag bearer.
Kaysha Love
Hailing from Herriman, Utah, Love made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games after finding her way to bobsledding post-college. A former track and field sprinter, she was approached by a bobsled coach in 2020 while training on the track, a moment that changed the course of her athletic career.
She arrives at this year’s Games as the reigning world champion in women’s monobob and will also compete alongside her fiancé and fellow bobsledder, Hunter Powell.
Jasmine Jones
The Houston native, also making her Olympic debut in Milano Cortina, is a former USC hurdler who transitioned to sliding sports after a standout track and field career, where she specialized in the 100-meter hurdles. Since making the switch, the 29-year-old has become a key brakewoman for Team USA, helping power sleds to multiple World Cup podium finishes. Milano Cortina marks her Olympic debut.
Azaria Hill
Hill is bringing both speed and family legacy with her debut on Team USA’s bobsled team this year. The Georgia native is the daughter of two Black Olympic medalists, track and field star Denean Howard and boxing champion Virgil Hill Sr., but she carved out her own athletic path as a collegiate sprint standout in the 100- and 200-meter events before switching to bobsled in 2023.
Now a brakeman, Hill’s explosive power and track background make her a natural on the push start, as she has quickly become part of the new wave of track athletes transitioning to the ice.
Laila Edwards
Edwards is already a trailblazer before even stepping onto Olympic ice, becoming the first Black woman to make Team USA’s Olympic hockey team. The Cleveland, Ohio, native and forward is making her Olympic debut following a standout collegiate career with the University of Wisconsin Badgers and strong international play, including competing at the IIHF World Championships.
Mystique Ro
Ro, who was born in Oceanside, California, and raised in Nokesville, Virginia, is one of 11 siblings and is making her Olympic debut this year. Like Love, she entered her sport after college. A former track and field athlete, she attended a sliding sports combine intending to try bobsled, but her smaller frame proved ideal for skeleton, setting her on the path to Olympic competition.
