Mar-a-Lago, the Florida residence of President Donald Trump, has been the location of several trespassing incidents since he became the president in 2017. Sunday’s recent apparent trespassing and deadly shooting adds to the list of trespass incidents at the resort on Palm Beach.Here’s a look back at some incidents:Kelly Weidman – 2017A then resident of Clearwater, Weidman was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, on accusations she snuck into Mar-a-Lago, smeared bananas on cars and left explicit messages on a computer inside the resort. This incident occurred hours before Trump was sworn in as president during his first term as president.Court documents note that on April 30, 2018, the trespassing charge was dropped by the state attorney’s office after Weidman completed a diversion program.LU JING – 2019A Chinese national was found not guilty of trespassing, but guilty of resisting arrest from a Dec. 18, 2019, incident at the resort.The woman, who does not speak English, said during trial she was dropped off at the property by a tour guide and did not see anything to indicate that she was not allowed on the property. After security guards told her to leave the property, she was found on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach by Palm Beach Police Department Officers and taken into custody.Hannah Roemhild – 2020Two Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies shot at an SUV operated by Hannah Roemhild from Connecticut after she sped past a checkpoint outside Mar-a-Lago. Roemhild reportedly had a mental health crisis when she sped through the checkpoint on Jan. 31, 2020. Roemhild was not hurt during the shooting. The deputies who shot at Roemhild were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2023.On Jan. 18, 2022, in Palm Beach County, Roemhild was found not guilty on two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, fleeing of attempting to elude at a high speed and reckless and resist officer without violence charges by reason of insanity.She was also found not guilty because of insanity on Aug. 26, 2021, in federal court in South Florida.Donald W. Cleveland – 2022He was arrested on June 29, 2022, for trespassing after warning. The Palm Beach Police Department told the Secret Service that the man had been on the property at least the night before. The man said he wanted to talk to then-President Trump.Police searched the man’s vehicle and discovered a black battery pack with multiple wires sticking out, a white pillowcase with cables and unknown items wrapped in duct tape, and multiple baking sheets. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and K-9 dogs were called to the scene. Cleveland was Baker acted.According to Palm Beach County court documents, Cleveland did not appear for his July 20, 2022, court hearing and an arrest warrant remains active.Jeffrey D. Olson – 2025According to a federal complaint, Olson jumped over the north wall of Mar-a-Lago and entered the restricted area. He moved to the East lawn of the property, where he was detained by U.S. Secret Service personnel. Olson told law enforcement that he entered the property to contact President Donald Trump.
Mar-a-Lago, the Florida residence of President Donald Trump, has been the location of several trespassing incidents since he became the president in 2017.
Sunday’s recent apparent trespassing and deadly shooting adds to the list of trespass incidents at the resort on Palm Beach.
Here’s a look back at some incidents:
Kelly Weidman – 2017
A then resident of Clearwater, Weidman was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, on accusations she snuck into Mar-a-Lago, smeared bananas on cars and left explicit messages on a computer inside the resort.
This incident occurred hours before Trump was sworn in as president during his first term as president.
Court documents note that on April 30, 2018, the trespassing charge was dropped by the state attorney’s office after Weidman completed a diversion program.
LU JING – 2019
A Chinese national was found not guilty of trespassing, but guilty of resisting arrest from a Dec. 18, 2019, incident at the resort.
The woman, who does not speak English, said during trial she was dropped off at the property by a tour guide and did not see anything to indicate that she was not allowed on the property.
After security guards told her to leave the property, she was found on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach by Palm Beach Police Department Officers and taken into custody.
Hannah Roemhild – 2020
Two Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies shot at an SUV operated by Hannah Roemhild from Connecticut after she sped past a checkpoint outside Mar-a-Lago.
Roemhild reportedly had a mental health crisis when she sped through the checkpoint on Jan. 31, 2020.
Roemhild was not hurt during the shooting. The deputies who shot at Roemhild were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2023.
On Jan. 18, 2022, in Palm Beach County, Roemhild was found not guilty on two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, fleeing of attempting to elude at a high speed and reckless and resist officer without violence charges by reason of insanity.
She was also found not guilty because of insanity on Aug. 26, 2021, in federal court in South Florida.
Donald W. Cleveland – 2022
He was arrested on June 29, 2022, for trespassing after warning.
The Palm Beach Police Department told the Secret Service that the man had been on the property at least the night before. The man said he wanted to talk to then-President Trump.
Police searched the man’s vehicle and discovered a black battery pack with multiple wires sticking out, a white pillowcase with cables and unknown items wrapped in duct tape, and multiple baking sheets.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and K-9 dogs were called to the scene. Cleveland was Baker acted.
According to Palm Beach County court documents, Cleveland did not appear for his July 20, 2022, court hearing and an arrest warrant remains active.
Jeffrey D. Olson – 2025
According to a federal complaint, Olson jumped over the north wall of Mar-a-Lago and entered the restricted area. He moved to the East lawn of the property, where he was detained by U.S. Secret Service personnel.
Olson told law enforcement that he entered the property to contact President Donald Trump.
Deathcore veterans Fit For An Autopsy have announced three special headlining performances coinciding with their upcoming spring tour supporting Lamb Of God, alongside Kublai Khan TX and Sanguisugabogg. Those dates (and their openers) are available below, and you can get your tickets right here.
3/18 Syracuse, NY Song & Dance (w/ Quantifier & Slum Lord) 3/31 Lakewood, OH Mahalls (w/ Sterilizing The Deceased & 6deep) 4/22 Pittsburgh, PA Spirit Hall (w/ Victims Of Contagion & Underneath)
w/ Lamb Of God, Kublai Khan TX & Sanguisugabogg
3/17 National Harbor, MD The Theater at MGM National Harbor 3/19 Montreal, QC Bell Centre 3/20 Toronto, ON GCT Theatre 3/22 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre 3/24 Minneapolis, MN Armory 3/25 Chicago, IL Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom 3/27 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 3/28 Salt Lake City, UT The Union Event Center 3/30 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds 3/31 Seattle, WA WAMU Theater 4/1 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum 4/3 San Francisco, CA The Masonic 4/4 Inglewood, CA YouTube Theater 4/5 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre 4/7 Albuquerque, NM Revel Entertainment Center 4/10 Austin, TX Moody Amphitheater 4/11 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 4/12 Houston, TX 713 Music Hall 4/14 Nashville, TN War Memorial Auditorium 4/15 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre 4/16 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater 4/18 Reading, PA Santander Arena 4/19 Virginia Beach, VA The Dome 4/21 Buffalo, NY Buffalo RiverWorks 4/23 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Paramount 4/25 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 4/26 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway
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Fresh off a win at the Daytona 500, Tyler Reddick looks to make it two in a row when he takes part in the 2026 Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Ga., on Sunday. He has nine career wins and 93 top-10 finishes. Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are the co-favorites at +1000 (risk $100 to win $1000) at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Among the other favorites are William Byron and Austin Cindric (+1400), Kyle Larson (+1500), Christopher Bell (+1600) and Denny Hamlin (+1800). Bell won last year’s race, the first of three in a row. He finished the season with four wins overall. Sunday’s race is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET, with Reddick carrying over his success from last week as he’ll start on the pole. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is at +3000 after his runner-up at Daytona. Before entering any 2026 Autotrader 400 props or NASCAR parlay picks, be sure to see what elite expert auto racing handicappers Phil Bobbitt and Steve Greco have to say.
Bobbitt and Greco built a predictive engine that consistently beats the books. They find huge value and aren’t afraid of volume. Over the past four-plus years, their followers are up more than $28,000 on $100 NASCAR betting plays. In 2024, they nailed seven outright winners in the Cup Series, returning nearly seven units for a 25.7% ROI.
They predicted Daniel Suarez’s victory in Atlanta at +3500 and were 10-2 on matchup plays. Their 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race preview nailed Joey Logano at +1100 and went 4-0 in matchup picks, and they hit Austin Cindric at +2800 in the Enjoy Illinois 300. They also nailed Ross Chastain as a +3000 longshot in the Hollywood Casino 400. Overall, they were up 47.18 units across all racing articles last season. In 2025, they correctly called William Byron (+2300) in the Daytona 500 and Kyle Larson (+450) in the AdventHealth 400. Anyone following Bobbitt and Greco on betting apps and sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.
One of Bobbitt and Greco’s top NASCAR bets: They are backing Carson Hocevar as an outright winner, a prop that returns +2000. “Carson Hocevar grades seventh in our rankings while the market is pricing him closer to 12th,” Bobbitt told SportsLine. “That’s a gap worth attacking because while he’s volatile, we’ve already got volatility priced in. What isn’t is that he was on the front row with teammate Michael McDowell with two laps to go last weekend. He lives in the draft, and he won’t flinch in traffic.” See what other NASCAR prop picks they like at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Autotrader 400 NASCAR picks
Bobbitt and Greco have locked in more NASCAR props and identified several longshots they like to win it all. One of the drivers is going off at more than 65-1 to win the race, so anyone who backs him could hit it big. You can only see who he is here.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — New anti-government protests have begun in Iran, witnesses said Sunday, as university students in Tehran and another city demonstrated around memorials for thousands of people killed in a crackdown on previous nationwide demonstrations about six weeks ago.
Iran’s state news agency said students protested at five universities in the capital, Tehran, and one in the city of Mashhad on Sunday. The scattered protests erupted Saturday at universities following 40-day memorials for people killed in January during anti-government rallies.
Iran’s government has not commented on the latest protests.
Many Iranians have held ceremonies marking the traditional 40-day mourning period in the past week. Most of the protesters are believed to have been killed around Jan. 8 and 9, according to activists tracking the situation.
Iranians across the country are still reeling with shock, grief and fear after the earlier protests were crushed by the deadliest crackdown ever seen under the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands are believed to have been arrested.
Although the crackdown tamped down the largest protests, smaller ones are still occurring, according to protesters and to videos shared on social media.
During the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the shah and brought the Islamic Republic to power, 40-day memorials for slain protesters often turned into rallies that security forces tried to crush, causing new deaths. Those were then marked 40 days later, with new protests.
Posts on social media Saturday and Sunday have alleged that security forces tried to restrict people from attending some 40-day ceremonies.
The new protests come while Iran braces for the possibility of a U.S. attack, as the Trump administration pushes for concessions from Iran on its nuclear program and other issues. The U.S. has built up its largest military presence in the Middle East in decades.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 7,015 people were killed in the previous protests and crackdown, including 214 government forces. The group has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists there to verify deaths.
The death toll continues to rise as the group crosschecks information despite disrupted communication with those inside the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s government offered its only death toll from the previous protests on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran’s theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.
The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.
The movements of additional U.S. warships and airplanes, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, don’t guarantee a U.S. strike on Iran, but they bolster Trump’s ability to carry out one if he chooses.
___
Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.
The lineup of Democratic speakers also includes Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Tina Smith (Minn.), as well as at least seven House members.
There are few things people on the internet love to do more than debate whether or not something is accurate, and there’s never a better opportunity to have these debates than when a historical movie debuts.
We have sources that tell us what actually happened back in the olden days, and we have scholars who interpret these sources to tell a narrative of what life was like decades or hundreds or thousands of years ago. We also have Reddit threads and website comments where people can argue about these things until they’re blue in the face. What fun!
Now, every now and then a historical film comes along that everyone basically agrees is inaccurate to the point of derision. Most period pieces have some inaccuracies, because movies are not real and plots require that time be condensed, characters written out or combined, and conflicts and battle scenes made more exciting than they likely were when they happened (if they happened at all).
But then there are some that are basically just fantasy fiction with a vaguely “historical” vibe. These are the most fun.
We’ll give most of these films the benefit of the doubt and acknowledge that none of them were truly meant to depict actual historical events as realistically as possible. If you want that, we recommend reading the Wikipedia page instead.
Still, many of these movies are inaccurate to the point of hilarity, fudging timelines and straight up inventing new events (and, in some cases, supernatural foes) to make things more cinematic. There are bits and pieces of real stuff here and there in all of these movies—just don’t expect to watch any of them in history class.
The 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Period Pieces Ever
Okay, maybe some of these were meant to be a little inaccurate.
Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky
10 Happy Endings in Movies That Are Way Darker Than They Seem
We’re not convinced by these apparent happily ever afters.
That means it’s time to start thinking about who will represent the United States at the 2030 tournament in the French Alps — keeping in mind that the NHL and the NHLPA agreed to send players to those Games in their collective bargaining agreement.
Predictably, many of the players who battled Canada in the gold medal game Sunday will be back for more in France. But due to the age of some players and the maturation of the next wave of American stars, there will be roster turnover.
We’ve organized the candidates for the 2030 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team into several tiers and included how old they’ll be when that tournament plays out. Who makes the cut for the next shot at Olympic glory?
If there’s a core group for Team USA, these are the players who encompass it. This group includes the first six players named to the 2026 roster as well as some of the players who were integral in the Olympic tournament.
Eichel and the Tkachuks played on the same line for coach Mike Sullivan. Matthews was the team captain, and it’s hard to imagine Team USA without him provided he’s still scoring goals at his current clip in the NHL. Quinn Hughes was Team USA’s best all-around defenseman, and Werenski was in the conversation, too. McAvoy was usually second to Hughes in average ice time during the tournament.
That fact that Jack Hughes’ status was never in question for the 2026 team is a testament to how much Team USA values his singular talents. He battled through injuries in the NHL regular season. He looked lost as a winger at 4 Nations. But he rewarded that faith but being one of the team’s most productive offensive forces in Milan, looking more like Patrick Kane 2.0 than a center flailing on the wing. And of course, scoring the golden goal to win the tournament helps.
Jack Hughes started on the fourth line but played his way up to skate with Larkin. The Red Wings center followed up his outstanding 4 Nations tournament with an Olympic run filled with huge moments. Eichel, Matthews and Larkin gave the Americans some of their best center depth ever on a national team, and they could run the trio back in 2030.
Thompson was potentially the only player whose “lock” status I had a question about. Unlike everyone else here, Thompson wasn’t named to the 4 Nations roster. He used that snub as motivation to stake a claim on an Olympic spot, and his worthiness became undeniable: From the end of 4 Nations to the beginning of the Olympics, only Nathan MacKinnon (51) scored more goals than the Sabres star (48). His play in the 2026 Games only bolstered his case.
Boldy was a borderline lock based on his play at 4 Nations and in the 2026 Games. He was one of the leading shooters on Team USA, and wasn’t afraid to go to the tough parts of the ice to generate those shots. He’s seventh in points among American-born player over the last two seasons (135 in 136 games) and figures to be a part of Team USA going forward.
Faber and Sanderson played regularly on the American blue line at the Olympics. Faber took his place next to Jaccob Slavin, as he did at 4 Nations. That’s the tournament where Sanderson replaced an injured Quinn Hughes and ended up scoring in their championship game loss to Canada.
LaCombe was added to the roster as an injury replacement for Seth Jones and didn’t see the ice during the tournament. That’s less about his abilities than it is about the Americans having the best depth in the tournament on the blue line. LaCombe has just scratched the surface of his talents in the NHL. His selection, and this experience in Italy, felt very much designed for LaCombe to have a role in 2030.
There’s little reason to believe that Oettinger won’t still be one of the NHL’s best goaltenders four years from now, which is one reason he’ll be strongly considered for the 2030 roster. It was curious that he didn’t see the ice in group play but was the backup during the medal round.
Only two American-born players have scored more goals than Connor (100) over the past three seasons. That earned him a healthy scratch for the 4 Nations championship game, and then a series of scratches in the Olympics as a spare forward. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a scratch in 2030, too?
Keller was used sparingly during these Olympics, and he played as a reserve in the medal round. He does a lot of good things, but ultimately does he do them better than other 2030 candidates?
Given his age in 2030 and his usage at the Milan Games, Hanifin is anything but a lock, but he has fans in Team USA management and didn’t do anything in Milan to shake their faith in admittedly limited ice time.
Swayman was a given a shot in group play against Denmark … and gave up a shot from center ice, which led to Oettinger becoming the backup in the elimination round. He’s still young enough to grab an Olympic spot — and certainly has experience on that stage that others won’t — but the U.S. goaltending pool is deep.
At 32, Hellebuyck was older than the previous three Team USA starters in best-on-best Olympic tournaments: Jonathan Quick (28), Ryan Miller (29) and Rick DiPietro (24). Which is to say that he would be significantly older than the typical U.S. starter at the 2030 Games. But given how Hellebuyck has played for Team USA at 4 Nations and then in Milan, where he had a tournament-leading .947 save percentage heading into the gold medal game, the Jets netminder could certainly be in the mix again.
Defensive defensemen have a pretty long shelf life, so it’s hard to imagine Slavin won’t still be a foundational player for the Americans four years from now. Jones was named to the initial roster and unable to play due to injury. There might be better options by the time 2030 rolls around, but that can’t be ignored.
Guentzel is only here because he’s a few years older than the majority of the other forwards who could return from the 2026 team. He’s seventh in points among American players over the past three seasons (217 in 202) and should keep collecting them as a member of the potent Tampa Bay offense. Provided there’s no erosion in his game, Guentzel should be right back in the mix.
Nelson, Miller and Trocheck were USA GM Bill Guerin’s blue-collar veteran grunts down the lineup to balance out the pure skill guys. The Rangers forwards were vital on the penalty kill for the Americans. Nelson had a great scoring impact during group play until Jack Hughes was moved off his line. But given his age, Nelson is probably closer to retirement than a spot on the 2030 roster.
Fox was one of the few players from the 4 Nations roster that wasn’t invited back for the Olympics after being on the ice for McDavid’s OT winner. He had 28 points in 30 games this NHL season, playing fantastic hockey in a campaign truncated by injury. Could the former Norris Trophy winner restate his case over the next four years?
Neither Caufield nor Hutson were invited to USA Olympic orientation camp, after opting not to play in the 2025 IIHF world championships. Caufield is one of the most dynamic scoring wingers in the NHL, but his lack of size might have worked against him. Hutson, last season’s NHL rookie of the year, is one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, but he was seen as a redundancy based on the puck-moving defensemen already on the Olympic roster.
Along with Caufield, Robertson was considered the most egregious offensive snub for Team USA. He was third among all American-born scorers in points over the past three seasons (226). DeBrincat was 11th in that span (194 points), but like Caufield didn’t have the size Team USA was looking for on the wing.
Tuch has the size, the scoring and the tenacity that the Americans wanted up front. But he’ll have a few more miles on his frame come 2030.
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Jason Robertson nets go-ahead goal with 1 minute to go
Jason Robertson scores goal with 1 minute to go to give Dallas the lead.
All of these players were on the USA Hockey Olympic orientation camp roster, but they didn’t make the cut for Milan Cortina.
Cooley would have been an interesting option for the 2026 Games, but his season was cut short because of injury after scoring 14 goals in 29 games. Knies was also an intriguing option, given his chemistry with Matthews. He’s going to be the American power forward of the future. Pinto might need to find another gear over the next four seasons to make a serious run at a roster spot, but he’s got a strong two-way game.
Could the 2030 Olympic team unite the Hughes Triforce? Luke Hughes would have to break through within the deepest position in the American talent pipeline, but he’s got the talent to do so.
Vlasic is a defensive defenseman for the Blackhawks, while Nazar has a loud of offensive upside.
play
1:14
Logan Cooley tallies 4 goals in Utah win vs. Vegas
Logan Cooley puts on a show with four goals in the Mammoth’s 5-1 win over the Golden Knights.
This tier is a collection of young players that have either made an impression in the NHL or have the potential to do so.
Beniers is in his fifth season with the Kraken, having won rookie of the year in 2022-23. It’s not too difficult to see him maturing into one of those “do-everything” bottom-six forwards on Team USA.
Smith gets understandably overshadowed by teammate Macklin Celebrini on the Sharks, but he is one of the best young offensive players in the NHL. Ditto Gauthier, who has 45 goals in his first 138 NHL games. Leonard has 30 points in 52 games with the Capitals as a rookie, and like others on the list has some impressive Team USA history in world juniors.
Blake, Doan and Snuggerud all have some work to do before the next Olympics to make their cases. Hagens is just 19 years old and in his second season at Boston College after being selected seventh overall by the Bruins last summer, but the potential is there.
Buium was the centerpiece of the Quinn Hughes trade for the Canucks, and the San Diego native could blossom into a top puck-moving defenseman.
Wolf was second in the rookie of the year voting last season, but he has struggled for an encore. Knight, conversely, is having a star-making season with the Blackhawks in his best NHL season to date.
There was no telling what would await *** rainy start in Milan for us. To *** smooth and fast train ride to Verona, less than 2 hours. Once there, the meeting place that will serve as northern Italy’s final bow to the Olympics, Arena di Verona, more than 2000 years old, where gladiators once fought to the finish, Olympians will now bid farewell. Centuries of history stretching skyward, sort of like us. We’ve seen Verona from the ground. Now we’re going to go upward. Hit it. Rain dots the windows of *** tram that would eventually put the city and its grand views at our feet. Not even clouds could cast *** shadow on this city. This makes it all worth it. Back at ground level, you get to understand that Verona is quite the intersection of the ages. Verona is really *** good mix of the old and new. This is Tower Lamberte, built way back in the 1100s at some time, but not too far away, steps away on the. *** Nike store on the left, Juliet’s house, yeah, that Juliet. The rain playing *** supporting role to all those searching for one of the stars of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the 13th century home said to be that of the Capulet family. Meanwhile, for every street showing off beautiful Roman architecture, there are also streets paved and Prada. Luxury shopping has *** home here. But it’s the views, the age-old glamour that locals know will be inviting. This is beautiful for Verona because Verona is one city, beautiful.
Milan Cortina Olympics to close at Verona Arena as Olympic flag passes to France
The Milan Cortina Olympics end Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.The 2½-hour ceremony will celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, headlining internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle along with popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte.Check back for live updates beginning at 2:30 p.m. ETOrganizers are expecting some 1,500 Olympians, a bit over half those who competed in the Games, to parade into the monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts.They will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto for host Italy, and hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates for the United States – all gold medal winners.Some 12,000 spectators will join the athletes and officials for the closing ceremony. It will be much more intimate than the opening ceremony, which starred Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli inside Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, attended by more than 60,000 people.The ceremony will celebrate Italian lyric opera, which has been recognized by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as a global treasure, but also pay tribute to contemporary Italian classics. Both opera and dance are at home in the stone amphitheater, which each summer hosts a popular opera festival with lavish productions and the gala dance performance titled Roberto Bolle and Friends.This is the first Games for the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.One of the key moments of the ceremony is when the Olympic flag is handed over to the next Winter Games host nation, France, and its flag is raised next to Italy’s and Greece’s.The Milan Cortina Games spanned an area of 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), from ice sports in Milan to biathlon in Anterselva on the Austrian border, snowboarding and men’s downhill in Valtellina on the Swiss border, cross-country skiing in the Val di Fiemme north of Verona and women’s downhill, curling and sliding sports in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo.It’s a model that will remain for future Games, to avoid the expense of building new facilities. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will stage events in the Alps and Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, while speedskating will be held abroad in a venue to be decided.The closing ceremony will conclude with the Olympic flames being extinguished at the unprecedented two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, to be viewed via video link. A light show will substitute fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona, to protect animals from being disturbed.A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.The Milan Cortina Paralympics’ opening ceremony will also take place in the Verona Arena, on March 6, and the Games will run until March 15.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
VERONA, Italy —
The Milan Cortina Olympics end Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.
The 2½-hour ceremony will celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, headlining internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle along with popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte.
Check back for live updates beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET
Organizers are expecting some 1,500 Olympians, a bit over half those who competed in the Games, to parade into the monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts.
They will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto for host Italy, and hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates for the United States – all gold medal winners.
Some 12,000 spectators will join the athletes and officials for the closing ceremony. It will be much more intimate than the opening ceremony, which starred Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli inside Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, attended by more than 60,000 people.
The ceremony will celebrate Italian lyric opera, which has been recognized by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as a global treasure, but also pay tribute to contemporary Italian classics. Both opera and dance are at home in the stone amphitheater, which each summer hosts a popular opera festival with lavish productions and the gala dance performance titled Roberto Bolle and Friends.
This is the first Games for the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
One of the key moments of the ceremony is when the Olympic flag is handed over to the next Winter Games host nation, France, and its flag is raised next to Italy’s and Greece’s.
The Milan Cortina Games spanned an area of 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), from ice sports in Milan to biathlon in Anterselva on the Austrian border, snowboarding and men’s downhill in Valtellina on the Swiss border, cross-country skiing in the Val di Fiemme north of Verona and women’s downhill, curling and sliding sports in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It’s a model that will remain for future Games, to avoid the expense of building new facilities. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will stage events in the Alps and Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, while speedskating will be held abroad in a venue to be decided.
The closing ceremony will conclude with the Olympic flames being extinguished at the unprecedented two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, to be viewed via video link. A light show will substitute fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona, to protect animals from being disturbed.
A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.
The Milan Cortina Paralympics’ opening ceremony will also take place in the Verona Arena, on March 6, and the Games will run until March 15.
