BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND THE 2026 MILAN CORTINA WINTER OLYMPICS

2026 WINTER OLYMPICS - BLACK HISTORY MONTH FULL BREAKDOWN -  116 EVENTS & 16 SPORTS...

Includes traditional events like skiing & figure skating to ski mountaineering - a new olympic sport

 

24 Events Featuring Black U.S. Athletes - Opening Ceremony February 6, 2026 through Closing Ceremony February 22, 2026 in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The graphic above represents a combined number of medal events where notable athletes, Black U.S. athletes and African-descent athletes may appear in 2026 - across various winter olympic sports. 

Noted individuals include:

• Elana Meyers Taylor – Bobsled pilot & monobob Confirmed Women's Monobob 1st Place Gold 
• Sylvia Hoffman – Bobsled brakeman Likely – World Cup roster - Thanks!
• Jasmine Jones – Bobsled brakeman Confirmed Two-Woman Bobsled 3rd Place Bronze
• Hakeem Abdul-Saboor – 4-man bobsled Likely – World Cup roster - Alternate (Non-Competing) 
• Nic Taylor – 4-man bobsled - Thanks!
• Nick Miles – 4-man bobsled - Thanks!
• Kelly Curtis – Skeleton Confirmed - finished 3.11 seconds behind gold medalist
• Jon Singletary – Bobsled push athlete (development program) -Thanks!
• Jordan Greenway – Ice hockey Not Competing Due to Injury
• Erin Jackson – Speed skating Confirmed Women's 500m & 1000m (5th & 6th Place Finishes)
• Brittany Bowe – Speed skating Confirmed 4th Place Finishes Women's 500, 1000m and 1500m
• Mistique Ro – Skelton finished 3.46 seconds behind gold medalist Janine Flock of Aus Confirmed

Other Black / African Descent Athletes Expected to Compete in 2026 Winter Olympics - including Alpine Skiing events (Rivers Triplets - Jamaica)... afro.com, people.com and defendernetwork.com

Black History Month is February 2026 and ironically the U.S. is sending one of its most diverse and dynamic group of Black and African-descent athletes to the 2026 Winter Olympics. It will be held primarily in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Northern Italy. 

The Opening Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic  Games is Feb. 6, 2026, on NBC and Peacock. 

NBC Olympics will provide coverage of the XXV Olympic Winter Games on CNBC and USA Network. Olympics.com offers free clips of highlights, interviews and live updates. Local NBC stations offer free over-the-air viewing.

Streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream often have free trial periods that include NBC, USA, and CNBC and allow you to stream the Olympics live for short periods at no cost.

HOW TO WATCH: 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Viewing Schedule - Trials Coverage Begins Wed, Feb 4, 2026 

5:30 AM (ET) Alpine Skiing Men's Downhill Training

Week 1 - Opening Week (Feb 6 - 9, 2026)

- Opening Ceremony

- First Rounds: Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Ski Jumping

- Team USA Early Events

Week 2 - Championship Events Begin (Feb 10 - 16, 2026)

- Figure Skating Medals

- Alpine Skiing Finals

- Snowboarding Halfpipe & Slopestyle

- Speed Skating 500m/1000m

Week 3 - Final Events & Closing Ceremony (Feb 17 - 22, 2026)

- Hockey & Curling Finals

- Bobsled & Skeleton

- Final Figure Skating

- Closing Ceremony

Get the complete schedule of events...

https://www.nbcolympics.com/schedule

13 different venues will be used during the Games...
1. Milan Cluster - hosting the opening ceremony, ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating
2. Cortina d'Ampezzo Cluster - hosting Aline skiing, biathlon, curling, bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton 
3. Valtellina Cluster - hosting Alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing
4. Val di Fiemme Cluster - hosting ski jumping, and Nordic combined
5. Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium - hosting cross-country skiing and nordic combined

6. Verona Olympic Arena - hosting the closing ceremony (and Paralympic Opening Ceremony)..   

Check-out The Olympic Venues (with video details) - 

https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/venues

Brief Profile of Notable Athletes, Black American Athletes and African-Descent Athletes to Watch - Winter Olympics 2026

1. Erin Jackson - Long Track Speedskating  Women's 500m & 1000m (5th & 6th Place Finishes)
Age: 33
Hometown: Ocala, Florida
Education: Studied Materials Science Engineering, University of Florida; Historic 2022 Olympic Gold Medalist in 500m; and first Black woman to win Olympic speedskating gold. Entering 2026 as reigning gold medalist from Beijing 2022.

Erin Jackson has spoken about her role as a model for young Blacks wanting to pursue their dreams in winter sports. She also expressed excitement and pressure about defending her title in 2026 - and embraces that visibility.

2. Elana Meyers Taylor -  Bobsled Women's Monobob 1st Place Gold Two-Woman Bobsled  7th Place

Age: 41

Hometown: Douglasville, Georgia

Education: George Washington University (Softball star)

Road to 2026: 4-time Olympic Medalist; Returning potentially for a final Olympic run in 2-woman bobsledy after giving birth between Olympics.

3. Sylvia Hoffman — Bobsled Two-Woman Bobsled 3rd Place Bronze

Age: 35

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Background: All-American volleyball player, USA Weightlifting

Road to 2026: 2022 Olympian in Women’s Monobob

Story: Got into the sport through the “Next Olympic Hopeful” scouting program

4. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor — Bobsled Alternate (Non-Competing) 

Age: 38

Hometown: Virginia

Profession: Chiropractor, former bodybuilder

Veteran Olympian likely returning.

5. Brittany Bowe - 500m, 1000m, 1500m (Not Black - Often Paired in Media with Erin Jackson)* 4th Place Finishes Women's 500, 1000m and 1500m

Age: 37

Hometown: Ocala, Florida

Sport: Long-Track Speed Skating

Team USA: 2010 - Present 

Tokyo + Beijing Olympian - she earned a bronze medal in the 1000 meters at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics; World Champion, multiple-time World Cup winner, and one of Team USA’s most consistent medal threats in sprints and middle-distance events. 

*Comments - Recognized for giving up her 500m spot to Erin Jackson in 2022 when Erin Jackson slipped in the U.S. trials and lost her automatic spot in the Olympics. Brittany Bowe gave up her own 500m slot so Jackson could compete.

6. Laila Edwards - Ice Hockey (U.S. Women’s Team) - Defender on Team USA - Confirmed

Age: 21 

Hometown: Cleveland Heights, Ohio, 

Heritage: African-American. A major milestone in U.S. hockey history - first Black woman to play for and win gold with the U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team.

7. Frankie Del Duca - Bobsled (Afro-Latino heritage) Competed in 2026 Olympic two-man bobsled 4th place finish - Confirmed

Age: 32 

Hometown: Maine

Road to 2026: competed in 2022; known for  strong push starts & U.S. Army WCAP athlete - represents both military and athletic excellence.

8. Kelsey Stewart -  Bobsled - 8th and 9th place finishes in Milano Cortina - Confirmed

Age: 28

Hometown: New Jersey

Background: Sprinter, national-level track athlete

Road to 2026: Expected to compete as a brakeman.

9. Maame Biney -  Short Track Speedskating - background and past achievements

Age: 24

Birthplace: Accra, Ghana

Raised: Reston, Virginia

Education: University of Utah

Road to 2026: Two-time Olympian (2018, 2022); known for explosive starts and fearless cornering

Story: The first Black woman to make a U.S. Olympic speedskating team. 

10. Andrew Blaser - Skeleton (Black heritage via maternal family) Transitioned from competitor to coach for the Milano Cortina Games

Age: 35

Hometown: Boise, Idaho

Education: University of Idaho

Story: Former track athlete and U.S. skeleton athlete at the Olympics (2022). Blaser is noted for his LGBTQ+ representations in winter sports who has not been officially named on the 2026 skelton roster. 

11. Seth Jones -  Defense NHL Prospects (Possible U.S. Roster Adds for 2026 Ice Hockey) - Withdrawn: Injured and unable to participate - Confirmed 

Age: 31

Hometown: Arlington, TX

Veteran defenseman for the Florida Panthers, has been officially named to the U.S. Men’s Hockey Roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. He is a NHL All-Star and top defensive player for Team USA. 

12. Starr Andrews - Figure Skating (Alternate) Finished 7th in St. Louis - Played a vital role in Team USA historic Gold Medal performance - Confirmed 

Age: 23

Hometown: Los Angeles

First Black U.S. woman to win a Grand Prix medal (2022).

She qualified and competed at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Starr Andrews was officially named as an alternate to the 2026 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team. 

ATHLETES OF AFRICAN DESCENT REPRESENTING OTHER COUNTRIES

Samuel Ikpefan - Cross-Country Skiing (Nigeria) - French-born sprinter who represents Nigeria; and 2nd Olympic cycle Finished 6:02.2 behind gold medalist

Akwasi Frimpong - Skeleton (Ghana) -  Former sprinter; one of Africa’s biggest Winter Olympics ambassadors. Did not qualify

Jamaica Bobsled Team - Always fan favorites; multiple athletes of African descent competing again - Shane Pitter & Junior Harris finished 4.58 seconds behind the leaders - did not advance to the finals

Black History Spotlight - Watch "Black Ice" | See the Official Trailer - 

Black Ice Streaming Free on The Roku Channel 

with ads or stream the title free on Plex, 

Plex Player, Plex Channel, or Fawesome

Introduced in AMC Theaters on July 14, 2023  by RoadsideFlix. It is an award-winning documentary that exposes the history of racism in hockey through the untold stories of Black hockey players. 

Directed by Hubert Davis with executive producers LeBron James, Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Maverick Carter and Adel “Future” Nura. The film explores the roots of the game, dating back to 1865 and the Colored Hockey League to the game of hockey today. 

References

https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/nbc-olympics-announces-hosts-2026-milan-cortina-winter-olympics-coverage-usa-network-and-cnbc

Winter Olympics date
https://news.bet365.com/en-gb/article/winter-olympics-host-date-venues-events/2025012909425412780

Snoop Dogg Returns to NBCUniversal’s Olympic Coverage for Milan Cortina 2026 -
https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/snoop-dogg-returns-nbcuniversals-olympic-coverage-milan-cortina-2026

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 Please feel free to update the list in the comments...

 Feb. 22, 2026