Winter Olympics: Vance, second lady attend opening ceremony

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were spotted at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, at San Siro on Friday night.

The Milan Cortina Olympics were officially opening with a ceremony celebrating the history and culture of the country. The vice president and Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry were introduced in the stadium. Former IOC president Thomas Bach was also seated near them.

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JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The NBC broadcast briefly showed the Vances clapping for Mattarella and Coventry.

Vance was among those leading the American contingent to the Olympic Games in Italy this year. He was spotted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. women’s ice hockey game against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Americans won the game, 5-1.

It was a part of a busy trip for Vance.

Vice President JD Vance, center, attends the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.  (Andreas Rentz/Pool Photo via AP)

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On Friday, he started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with Rubio and his family. He then headed to the Prefettura di Milano for a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“In the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values, we’re very, very thrilled to be here, and we’ll have a great conversation about number of topics,” Vance told Meloni as the press corps looked on.

Vice President JD Vance, center, and his wife Usha Vance attend the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

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He said he had been excited to go to the Olympics in Milan “pretty much since I became vice president.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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