Three U.S. Olympic winter sport national governing bodies have changed the name of their Milan hospitality space over concerns about ICE protests in Italy during the Olympics, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday afternoon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and U.S. Speedskating decided to change the name of The Ice House to The Winter House.
‘Our hospitality concept was designed to be a private space free of distractions where athletes, their families, and friends can come together to celebrate the unique experience of the Winter Games. This name captures that vision and connects to the season and the event,” the NGBs said in a joint statement provided to USA TODAY Sports.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee usually hosts athletes and sponsors at USA House during the Games. However, with the far-flung venues of the 2026 Milan-Cortino Olympics, that wasn’t possible at these Games, so the three sports headquartered in Milan, all played or performed on ice, decided to put together their own hospitality venue.
Over the weekend, protests over the presence of ICE agents at the Olympics drew hundreds in Milan.
This is a developing story.
