Team USA Flag Bearer Frank Del Duca Credits The Army For His Personal And Professional Growth

Frank Del Duca, a sergeant in the army, is a part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

Team USA Flag Bearer Frank Del Duca Credits The Army For His Personal And Professional Growth

Frank Del Duca (Images via @frankiedelduca on Instagram)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

On Tuesday, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee named bobsledder Frank Del Duca, along with speedskater Erin Jackson, as the flag bearers for the Milan Cortina Games Opening Ceremony. Italian-American Del Duca will become the sixth bobsledder and the first in 70 years to carry the team into the Olympics.

Del Duca, a sergeant in the US Army, began his journey as a downhill slalom skier state champion during his sophomore year of high school. He transitioned into bobsled in 2015, starting from the very beginning, and quickly gained a competitive edge in the sport. When he joined the Army in August 2019 as an infantryman, he was picked up by the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

After receiving the news that he had been selected as the flag bearer, Del Duca thanked the Army for its role in his career and life. He told NBC:

It’s just an incredible honor, and I’ve learned so much through the U.S. Army, and I think it’s helped me – I know it’s helped me be a better bobsledder, a better father and a husband, and a friend and everything. So, I almost want to say it’s like a full circle moment or, like, a just it’s just the perfect match. It’s hard to put into words.

The Milan Cortina 2026 games will be Del Duca’s second time in the Winter Olympics. He had competed in Beijing four years ago in two-man and four-man events, finishing out of the top ten both times. He has since seen an ascent, placing fourth in both events at the IBSF World Championships 2025 held in Lake Placid, New York. Furthermore, he, along with his two-man partner, Boone Niederhofer, had a top-seven finish in all seven World Cup races this season.

Frank Del Duca is aiming for a gold medal finish at Cortina

The United States is hopeful of a first medal in men’s bobsled since 2014, with pilot Frank Del Duca ranked fourth. In Sochi, Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton won a silver in the two-man and won silver in four-man, along with Curtis Tomasevicz and Christopher Fogt.

Frank Del Duca (in front) piloting his sled (Image via @frankiedelduca on Instagram)
Frank Del Duca (in front) piloting his sled (Image via @frankiedelduca on Instagram)

In Beijing four years ago, Germany had complete domination of the men’s two-man event, sweeping the podium. Francesco Friedrich (pilot) and Thorsten Margis won their second gold together, having won it in PyeongChang in 2018. Friedrich, who also won back-to-back golds in the four-man event, will be returning in the hunt for his fifth Olympic gold.

He is, unsurprisingly, the top favorite to bag the gold in the two-man event. Johannes Lochner, who won silver in Beijing, could put up a strong fight to prevent Friedrich from getting a third back-to-back title. In the IBSF World Cups last year, Lochner was a mere +0.03 away from bagging the title.

Where does Frank Del Duca fit in? While a gold-medal finish at what is somewhat his home Olympics would be a stretch, a podium finish can’t be ruled out. Del Duca was a minute late at the World Cup and finished fourth in the two-man. He was just seconds behind the third-place team from Germany. The four-man picture was more or less similar, but medal hopes are reportedly higher for the other event.

The Germans’ dominance in the game has become superior in recent editions. Nevertheless, there are a few teams making strides, including the US with Del Duca and his squad. Great Britain’s Cortina flag bearer Brad Hall would be leading one such squad. Hall even made the podium in the four-man event in Lake Placid last year.

Also Read