IOC responds to booing of JD Vance and Israeli athletes at Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) responded to the booing of US vice-president JD Vance at Friday night’s Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony by encouraging “fair play” among spectators.

The vice-president led the US delegation and was pictured briefly on screen as the US team entered the San Siro, the host venue in Milan.

Applause and cheers for the American athletes quickly turned to boos when Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, were broadcast on the big screen, with cameras quickly panning away.

It was not the only politically charged moment at the ceremony: there were also loud jeers and whistles for the Israeli delegation.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams was asked about the booing of Vance at an IOC press conference on Saturday. He said: “What I would say from the IOC point of view is with the next Games coming up in Los Angeles we are super happy that the US administration is so engaged with the Games here and going forward. That’s a great thing for the Olympic movement.

“We are largely a sports organisation and seeing the US team cheered as they were by the audience, fair play, that was fantastic, so very happy.

“In general at sporting events we like to see fair play, but in terms of having a good relationship with the administration, that’s good news for us.”

Milano-Cortina 2026 chief executive Andrea Varnier ducked a further, pointed question on how Italians view this US administration.

He said: “I was there, I heard an incredible cheering when the US team entered the stadium, that’s what I heard. I didn’t hear anything else, I just read in the papers. The cheering was amazing.”

Vance arrived in Milan on Thursday and met American athletes and attended the US women’s ice hockey opener against Czechia on his first day. He also met IOC president Kirsty Coventry before the Opening Ceremony.

Adams did not elaborate on the substance of that discussion but said: “I know it went incredibly well, there was very good chemistry, they had a very good discussion. I know speaking to the president this morning she was very pleased [with the conversation] and very pleased about the enthusiasm from the president and the whole administration for the Games.”

The IOC also issued a plea for sportsmanlike behaviour from all spectators when asked about the reaction to the booing of Israeli athletes.

Adams said: “In terms of the athletes and the teams, whatever background, whatever country they’re from, I don’t think we like to see booing, we want to see sportsperson-like behaviour from everyone. It’s important that we support our athletes.

“The whole idea, or one of the ideas of the Olympic Movement is that the athletes shouldn’t be punished for whatever their governments have done, and I think that’s really important, that we see the athletes and athletic performance for what that says about humanity.

“I know the Italian supporters love their sport, I think when they start seeing amazing performances, whatever nationality, they will cheer those performances.”