By Jim Carchidi
February 4, 2026
There’s nothing like cheering on your hometown team, and Florida-born Olympians are representing Team USA in Milano Cortina. They hail from Orlando, Ocala, Fort Lauderdale, Sanford, Coral Springs, Hollywood, and Crestview. And two will carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies.
Erin Jackson, Ocala, Speed skating
Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to qualify for the U.S. Olympic speed skating team in 2018. She won gold in the women's 500-meter event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing with a time of 37.04 seconds. Prior to her Olympic career, she was a jammer for the Jacksonville RollerGirls from 2012-2016.
Jackson will compete in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events, and will serve as one of two Team USA flag bearers during the Parade of Nations in the Feb. 6 Opening Ceremony.
Frank Del Duca, Fort Lauderdale, Bobsled
Bobsled pilot Frank Del Duca will be the second Team USA flag bearer. Born in Fort Lauderdale, he currently lives in Maine and has been a bobsledder for more than 10 years. He completed his first race in 2015 and represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the two-man and four-man events.
Del Duca is a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program with a background in soccer, track and field, alpine ski racing, and baseball.
Jack and Quinn Hughes, Orlando, Hockey
Orlando-born Jack and Quinn Hughes are two of three brothers who became NHL first-round picks. Quinn was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft, Jack was the first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2019, and their brother Luke was also selected by New Jersey with the No. 4 pick in 2021. Quinn is currently a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild.
Quinn and Jack represented the United States in World Championships, competing at both junior and senior levels. On January 2, they both were named to the Team USA roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Brittany Bowe, Ocala, Speed skating
Brittany Bowe’s career includes eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in the World Inline Speedskating Championships, and she is the current 1,000-meter world record holder. Bowe won a bronze medal in the women’s 1000-meter competition at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Milano Cortina games will mark her fourth Olympics appearance.
She will compete in the Women’s 1,000-meter, 1,500-meter, and Team Pursuit speed skating events.
Mia Manganello, Crestview, Speed skating
Mia Manganello was an inline skater before attending a speed skating camp at age 13. She traded wheels for blades, competing on four Jr. World Teams, earning three Jr. National Championships and multiple Sr. World Cups. She competed in two Olympic trials, then stepped away to focus on cycling in 2010, racing professionally for five years.
She returned to the ice in early 2016, taking another US National Championship title and joining the US National Team training. She competed in the 2018 WInter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the team pursuit competition. She also competed in the women's 1500-meter, 3000-meter and Mass Start events at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Josh Williamson, Sanford, Bobsled
Josh Williamson discovered bobsledding in 2017, signing up for recruitment for Team USA at age 19. He placed 10th in the four-man bobsled in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but a positive COVID-19 test forced him to miss the 2022 opening ceremony. He is planning to make up for it this time around.
Williamson earned a marketing degree from FSU and is the Seminoles’ first athlete to compete as a bobsledder.
Andrew Torgashev, Coral Springs, Figure skating
Andrew Torgashev is the son of former skaters Ilona Melinchenko and Artem Torgashev. He began skating at the Coral Springs rink where they served as coaches, and won the 2015 U.S. Junior title. He also placed 10th at the World Junior Championships that year before an ankle fracture ended his season.
He returned to competition in 2016, winning silver and bronze in junior competition, and a gold medal in 2018 before suffering a toe injury. Torgashev earned a place in his first World Championships in 2023 and took silver medals at the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Nick Page, Hollywood, Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skier Nick Page was born in Hollywood, Florida. He moved to Park City, Utah at a young age and began skiing at age seven. He is a Junior World and US National Champion, and was named the FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year in 2021 .
Page represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics at the age of 23, placing fifth in the men’s mogul event. He also competed in the World Ski Championships in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
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About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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