{"id":463854,"date":"2026-02-07T06:27:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T06:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/463854\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T06:27:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T06:27:20","slug":"fans-ignore-plea-as-jd-vance-booed-during-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/463854\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans ignore plea as JD Vance booed during Winter Olympics opening ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

American superstar Mariah Carey put on a show at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics<\/a> opening ceremony, but the event was overshadowed by a chorus of boos.<\/p>\n

In an Olympic first, the main ceremony was held at the San Siro Stadium in Milan while athletes marched at different clusters across Italy.<\/p>\n

Australian flag bearers Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham led a small but enthusiastic team, while the big contingent from USA were one of the last nations to walk out.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

While the athletes led by flag bearer Erin Jackson were largely cheered, boos rained down when US Vice President JD Vance was shown on the big screen.<\/p>\n

Fans had previously been instructed not to boo the US delegation, but those pleas from Olympic officials were ignored.<\/p>\n

\"TeamTeam USA athletes were in good spirits. Credit: AAP\"VanceVance and wife Usha were unmoved by the frosty reception. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

Support for the US among its allies has been eroding as the Trump administration has taken an aggressive posture on foreign policy, including punishing tariffs, military action in Venezuela and threats to invade Greenland.<\/p>\n

Vance attended the opening ceremony along with his wife, second lady Usha Vance, who was sitting next to former International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.<\/p>\n

The presence of ICE agents at the Olympics had already lead to protests in Milan, and angry fans voiced their frustration.<\/p>\n

Despite the boos, American athletes were in good spirits and Vance appeared unmoved by the reception.<\/p>\n

Jeers also rang out when Israel\u2019s delegation entered the stadium. There have been some calls for Israel to be banned from the Olympics over the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas\u2019 deadly attack in October 2023.<\/p>\n

The contingent from Venezuela got a big backing when entering. So did that from Ukraine, where a war continues four years after Russia invaded.<\/p>\n

With competition venues dotting an area of about 22,000km it will be the most spread-out Games in Winter Olympics history.<\/p>\n

The largest Australian contingent was in Livigno, some 250km from Milan in the Italian alps, where Olympic moguls medallists Anthony and Graham led a 23-strong team that includes other freestyle skiers as well as the team\u2019s snowboarders.<\/p>\n

\"MattMatt Graham and Jakara Anthony have led Australia’s Opening Ceremony celebrations in Livigno. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

There were five ice skaters marching in Milan, 10 sliders and alpine skiers in Cortina and only two in Predazzo, with Australia\u2019s female cross country quartet skipping the ceremony to prepare for the skiathlon on Saturday (local time).<\/p>\n

Wearing traditional green with gold beanies, Anthony and Graham rallied the troops with a traditional \u201cAussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi,\u201d before setting off.<\/p>\n

In another shift, the Olympic flame was lit in two cauldrons with former Italian champion skiers Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba given the honour in Milan and current alpine star Sofia Goggia, who will for compete Italy next week, lighting the cauldron in Cortina, 400km away.<\/p>\n

During the two-hour long ceremony American songstress Mariah Carey delivered the iconic Volare in Italian, there was a tribute to famous composers like Giuseppe Verdi and the late design king Giorgio Armani at the main stadium.<\/p>\n

South African-American actor Charlize Theron also made a surprise appearance as the United Nations Messenger of Peace.<\/p>\n

Tenor Andrea Bocelli wowed the 61,000 ticket-holders in Milan, while Italian pop singer Laura Pausini performed the Italian national anthem before Italian President Sergio Mattarella formally opened the 25th Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n

Mattarella was introduced in a video suggesting he was arriving at San Siro by a tram driven by Italian motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi.<\/p>\n

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry, overseeing her first Games since succeeding Thomas Bach last year, told the athletes to \u201cenjoy every second\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll show us what it means to be human. To dream. To overcome. To respect one another. To care for each other. You\u2019ll show us that strength isn\u2019t just about winning – it\u2019s about courage, empathy and heart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for believing in the magic of the Olympic Games. The spirit of the Olympic Games is about so much more than sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet these Games be a celebration of what unites us – of everything that makes us human. This is the magic of the Olympic Games: inspiring us all to be the best that we can be – together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The February 6-22 Olympics bring together around 2900 athletes from 92 countries who will compete for 116 gold medals. They are in first Games in Italy since Torino 2006.<\/p>\n

After Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014), Asia hosted the last two Olympics in Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022).<\/p>\n

– With AAP<\/p>\n

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Aussie in disbelief after \u2018crazy\u2019 moment at Winter Olympics<\/p>\n

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