"The Winter Olympics are smaller than the summer version by design, and the more modest scale tends to benefit them: even though they're one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, they feel more charming, even affably weird. It is just impossible not to enjoy watching luge, or even saying the word "luge." But, as with any Olympics, you're probably waiting until the Games get going to actually pay attention."
"But that's far from the only issue. The president may have backed away from his threat to invade Greenland, but his reversal did little to warm Europeans back up to the United States - or, for that matter, its people. (As any American who has visited anywhere in Europe in 2026 can tell you.) At the very least, expect some boos during the National Anthem when an American athlete wins a Gold Medal. If we're lucky, that will be the least of it."
Milano Cortina Winter Olympics begin Friday, offering a smaller, charming spectacle that highlights sports like luge. The Games feel affably weird and invite casual attention despite their scale. Six major storylines will shape the fortnight of competition. One key storyline centers on how the U.S. will be received, with American athletics under intense international spotlight ahead of larger tests at the World Cup and Los Angeles 2028. Local opposition to ICE security and street protests in Milan reflect broader European chilly attitudes toward the United States after recent political controversies, making boos during the National Anthem likely.
Read at Intelligencer
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