As 232 athletes represent the U. S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, many are experiencing "mixed emotions. " CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- A Ukrainian skeleton athlete has been kicked out of the Milano Cortina Olympics for insisting on wearing a helmet honoring fellow athletes killed in Russia's unprovoked invasion of his country.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. This year's Winter Olympics, which officially kick off on 6 February in Milan, will feature athletes from 92 different countries.