VIDEO SHOWS: UNITED STATES OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE (USOPC) NEWS CONFERENCE WITH SOUNDBITES FROM CEO SARAH HIRSHLAND AND USOPC CHIEF OF SPORT AND ATHLETE SERVICES ROCKY HARRIS SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 28, 2025) (U.S. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE – For editorial use only) 1. U.S. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPICÂ COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ON STAGE FOR TEAM USA SUMMIT PRESS CONFERENCE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) USOPC CEO, SARAH HIRSHLAND, SAYING: "We talk to Team USA athletes as they're competing in, you know, sort of routine international competitions and are always thoughtful about what they're experiencing, and, so, we have gotten questions from athletes who are wondering how they're going to be received and is there anything I need to be, you know, doing differently or thinking about differently, and the reality is I don't think we've had anyone suggest that they don't feel safe, and I'll let Nicole (Deal, USOPC Chief of Security & Athlete Services) comment on that. But they certainly are conscious of how they might be perceived and we're conscious of trying to help them feel really comfortable." 3. LEADERSHIP ON STAGE 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) USOPC CEO, SARAH HIRSHLAND, SAYING: "The one thing that they can be incredibly proud of is being part of a team of incredible elite athletes across a wide range of sports that are there actually as a unifying force for this country, and that's something that really resonates with the community of athletes and resonates frankly with the general public and everything we're doing, and, so, our focus is on recognizing the good power of sport and celebrating that and using that as the anchor to feel really proud about what we're doing, and I think that's resonated strongly with athletes, and that's the torch we're carrying." 5. LEADERSHIP ON STAGE 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) USOPC CHIEF OF SPORT AND ATHLETE SERVICES, ROCKY HARRIS, SAYING: "All of our winter sports are on the rise and it's actually intentional. It's something that hasn't happened by accident. We've coordinated very closely with our national governing bodies. Years ago we created a winter sport strategic plan along with them and collaborated with them to align around where the USOPC can make the biggest impact for winter sport." 7. PRESS CONFERENCE ENDING STORY: U.S. athletes are preparing for an anti-American feeling ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) leaders said on Tuesday (October 28), a little over three months before next year's global event. U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff regime and other policies, including strict travel bans, have sparked anti-American sentiment in many countries in recent months. That mood has spilled over into major sporting events this year. Canadians rallied around the Toronto Blue Jays when they began their World Series campaign against the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after Trump's latest trade policies. The Four Nations ice hockey tournament took on a decidedly political tone as U.S. and Canadian fans jeered each other's national anthems following Trump's threat to turn Canada into the "51st state." USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said while no athletes have reported feeling unsafe on the world stage, the topic of public image has come up. Athletes and fans begin a 100-day countdown to the Milano-Cortina Olympics on Wednesday, preparing for spectators to be back in full force at the Winter Games after COVID-limited attendance in Beijing three years ago. The USOPC expects 294 athletes to travel to Milano-Cortina – 225 Olympic and 69 Paralympic – as it puts greater emphasis on winter sport, with dozens of leading athletes descending on New York City for the two-day Team USA Summit. Although the U.S. team frequently tops the Summer Olympics medal table, it has only done so once at the Winter Games, in 1932. The Milano-Cortina Games run from February 6 to February 22. (Production: Nathan Frandino)
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