US vice-president JD Vance will head the American presidential delegation to the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the White House confirmed Saturday.

Vance is scheduled to attend the ceremony on 6 February, when the Milano Cortina Games officially get underway. He will be accompanied by second lady Usha Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and US ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta.

Also joining the delegation are several former Olympic champions, including twin sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, members of the US women’s ice hockey team that won gold at the 2018 Games. The group will also include figure skater Evan Lysacek, the 2010 Olympic champion, and Apolo Ohno, a two-time gold medalist in short track speed skating.

The opening ceremony will feature a first-of-its-kind format for the Winter Games. While the main event will take place at Milan’s San Siro stadium, which is expected to host tens of thousands of spectators, the traditional Parade of Nations will also be staged simultaneously at three mountain venues – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno – marking the first time Olympic athletes have been introduced across multiple locations.

Competition at the Games will run through 22 February across venues in Milan and northern Italy.

US president Donald Trump will not attend the opening ceremony and is not listed as part of the delegation, according to the White House.