US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the United States women’s Olympic hockey opener in Milan on Thursday, marking the first Olympic appearance for the vice-president. The game, held in a secondary rink in the city’s western suburbs, drew several thousand spectators and was seen as a potential flashpoint amid concerns about vocal crowd reactions against the US.
Vance is in Italy to lead the official US delegation at Friday’s opening ceremony, joined by second lady Usha Vance, Rubio and billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the US ambassador to Italy. The group watched from centre ice alongside Olympic gold medal-winning hockey sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. The vice-president arrived midway through the first period, missing the anthems, which were not played before the preliminary round game against the Czech Republic.
Despite fears of political demonstrations, the atmosphere remained subdued. The roughly four dozen US Secret Service agents formed a protective cordon around Vance’s party, but the lack of protest was attributed more to celebrity fascination. Nearly everyone within sight raised phones to record the moment as Vance made his way to his seat. At one point, Vance joined fans in a chant of “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!” after Alex Carpenter scored the opening goal for the Americans.
The US Olympic delegation in Milan is operating in what officials describe as a heightened diplomatic posture, aware the Games function as both sporting event and global political stage. Concerns have been raised about the presence of analysts connected to US immigration enforcement at the Games, but Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said they would not perform any law enforcement role. Olympic officials have expressed hope that Friday’s opening ceremony at the San Siro will unfold without political demonstrations directed at American athletes or officials.
Vance is scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit. The vice-president arrived wearing a blue zip-up jacket with a US flag patch, while Usha Vance wore a white fleece featuring the Stars and Stripes and Olympic rings. Television footage showed the couple being welcomed by a group of American athletes applauding as they stepped off the plane.
