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U.S. Olympic women’s skeleton athlete and Air Force staff sergeant Kelly Curtis didn’t get the results she was looking for individually in Milan Cortina.
But she still comes away feeling like a winner because she got to represent her country, and gets to continue root on her Team USA teammates, especially the Americans currently challenging Germany in women’s bobsled.
“Whenever I put on the uniform that says the USA I’m proud to represent both my country and the U.S. Air Force,” Curtis told Fox News Digital. “But to have it on the Olympic stage just makes it that much more special.”
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USA’s Kelly Curtis following heat 3 of the Women’s Skeleton at the Cortina Sliding Centre, on day eight of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy. Picture date: Saturday Feb. 14, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
Curtis’ patriotism comes at a time when some U.S. Olympians have expressed concern and criticism about the current state of America under President Donald Trump. Curtis, as a loyal member of the U.S. military, insists she will defend any of her teammates or fellow Americans looking to exercise their freedom of speech.
“I love the first amendment, and I love that I get to defend the country in whatever way I do on behalf of the first amendment,” Curtis said. “My fellow Olympian teammates have the right to speak whatever they want, and I will defend their right to do so.”
Team USA athletes Hunter Hess, Amber Glenn and Mikaela Shiffrin have all made statements criticizing the state of the U.S. while competing in Italy. Meanwhile, Curtis and fellow U.S. Air Force Olympian Jasmine Jones, who’s currently looking to help lead the U.S. to the podium in bobsled, are joined by ice hockey players Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes in praising their country at Milan Cortina.
AMERICAN HUNTER HESS RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S ‘LOSER’ CRITICISM WITH ‘L’ GESTURE AT MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS
USA’s Kelly Curtis holds up a flags after competing in the skeleton women’s heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 14, 2026. (Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
After finishing in 12th place in women’s skeleton, Curtis will be cheering on the bobsled team of Jones and Kaillie Humphries, who are in position to contend for a medal podium in a crowded field of elite German rivals.
Humphires and Jones finished in first place in the first heat of the final on Friday, and then in fourth place in the second heat. They have an inside track to reaching the podium, likely a bronze or silver, but their dream of gold is still alive.
“They have a good thing going,” Curtis said. “They have a winning formula for sure.”
As Curtis and Jones represent the only two Air Force members competing for Team USA in Milan Cortina, Curtis hopes to grow that number by the time the 2030 Winter Games in the French alps comes along.
“We have a small program for the Winter Olympics cycle, but hopefully our program grows and develops, and we’ll have a lot more athletes competing at the 2030 games,” she said.
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“This program requires a three-year active duty service commitment, so once we’re done, we go back to our airbases where we serve as active duty service members.”
Team USA fans can send Jones and fellow airman Kelly Curtis, who is also competing in Italy, a personalized letter through a program involving a partnership between Team USA and Sandboxx.
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