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The XXIV Olympic Winter Games are set to play out Feb. 4 to 20 in and around Beijing, China. Amongst the 223-person U.S. Olympic roster announced on Jan. 4, four individuals will be representing not only Team USA, but also the U.S. military. These are the members of the US Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), a program that allows top-ranked soldier-athletes to perform at the international level while serving their nation. Drawn from Active, Reserve and National Guard components, they are selected for their ability to perform at the highest level of their chosen sports. After joining WCAP, they hone their skills under the guidance of elite civilian and military coaches at some of America’s top facilities while simultaneously keeping current with Army requirements, attending military schools and conducting outreach activities.
According to the WCAP, since 1948, 446 soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics, earning 111 medals across a variety of sports. Will that tally have risen by the time of the closing ceremony on Feb. 20? Our wholehearted support can only help their cause!
WCAP athletes bound for the Olympic Winter games in 2022 include:
Spc Hakeem Abdul-Saboor: A Biomedical Equipment Specialist hailing from Powhatan, Virginia, competes as the breakman in the 2-man and 4-man bobsled. This will be his second Olympic outing.
Spc Frank Del Duca: This infantryman from Bethel, Maine, competes as the pilot in the 2-man and 4-man Bobsled. This will be his first Olympic games.
Abdul-Saboor and Del Duca will be competing together, with Del Duca as team pilot and Abdul-Saboor as the pusher. For more on the duo, see this article in Stars and Stripes.
Sgt. Emily Sweeney: This Suffield, Connecticut, native serves in the Military Police and competes in the luge singles. Since joining the military in the same year she graduated from high school, Sgt. Sweeney has competed on five World Cup teams, four World Championship teams and one Olympic team. This will be her second Olympic appearance.
Airman 1st Class Kelly Curtis: The Princeton, New Jersey, native will be one of just three athletes competing in skeleton. She is competing in her first Olympic games this year. Curtis recently completed a short assignment at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Learn more about Curtis’ need for speed in this Stars and Stripes article.
