AMNA NAWAZ: The 2026 Winter Olympics# are now officially under way after the## Opening Ceremony in Milan, which is# co-hosting with the city of Cortina.

Today's star-studded spectacle featured# performances by Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli,## among others.

About 2,800 athletes from# more than 90 countries are taking part.

And this week's episode of our podcast# "Settle In," is all about the Games and## what you need to know.

I spoke with Christine# Brennan of USA Today before she flew to Italy## for more on the Games, the athletes, and the# world coming together in an uncertain era.

Let's talk about some of the big# storylines to watch, because there's## so many fascinating personalities and# so many potentially exciting moments.

Let's start with women skiing and Mikaela# Shiffrin, because if you are someone like## me who loves a redemption story or loves# a comeback, this could be the one, right?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA Today: Absolutely.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tell us about Mikaela.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Mikaela# .. She's lived a lifetime or two or three# early success, Sochi and PyeongChang,## and then absolutely a devastating# Olympics in 2022, where she just... AMNA NAWAZ: Broke my heart to watch.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: And you and probably millions# of people watching.

No, and just had a terrible## run of bad luck, didn't finish.

Everything that# she had done so beautifully over the time she'd## been in the public eye, it all fell apart.# Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

But a great -- why people love her so much and why## she is such a terrific role model and# good person is the way she handled it.

AMNA NAWAZ: Yes.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN:.. didn't run away, didn't hide, absolute pro.

Talked about her mental health, talked about## how hard this was.

It's bigger than sports# and she handled it beautifully.

And here## she comes.

She is back, only 30, as I# said, so there's still plenty of time.

AMNA NAWAZ: OK, let's talk about figure skating,## because I know that's where you're going to be#focusing a lot of your reporting and work as well.

And I feel like that is -- that's where a lot of# core memories for viewers are made.

And certainly## for me growing up watching, I still have memories# of these great American skaters like Michelle Kwan## and Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski.

How are# the Americans doing?

Can they medal this year?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes, they can.# They should.

I think they will.

I actually think this could be the greatest# U.S.

figure skating team ever assembled.## 1960s is the last time that two# Americans in figure skating won## gold men and women.

This U.S.

team, Ilia# Malinin, who's 21, from the D.C.

suburbs,## born and raised in D.C., the son of two-time# Olympians, both, his mom -- I covered his mom.

AMNA NAWAZ: You covered his mom?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes.

AMNA NAW.. CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes, .. AMNA NAWAZ: So he's coming# in with a good pedigree.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Exactly, born and raised in#the United States.# He is by far the prohibitive# Olympic gold medal favorite in the men's# event and also just a terrific young man,## gets it, the bravado, calls# himself the Quad God.

He's... AMNA NAWAZ: He calls himself the Quad God?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Quad God.

And you know# what?

It ain't bragging if.. as they say.

Well, guess what?

He landed# seven quadruple jumps in his long program,## four minutes, in the Grand Prix Final in# December.

And that is the most quadruple## jumps ever by a human being in the history# of figure skating.

So, hello, Quad God.

The reigning world champion is Alysa Liu.

And# she's 20.

And get this.

She won the national## championship, first one at age 13, youngest U.S.# woman to ever win a national title.

Alysa Liu## won another national championship at 14.# She was so little that her competitors,## second and third place, had to help her# up to get to the top of the medal stand.

So, national champion 13, national champion 14,# retires at 16, unretires two years later at 18,## wins the world title at 19, and now# makes her second Olympic team at 20.

AMNA NAWAZ: I love this story already.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: She has come back# with a totally different .. She didn't want -- she hated the# life of a young kid, regimented## as she was.

She wanted to go skiing and take# vacations and do stuff that she couldn't do.

AMNA NAWAZ: Yes, and be 16.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes.

AMNA N.. CHRISTINE BRENNAN: And.. she loved it.

And she goes, now# I want to come back to skating.

AMNA NAWAZ: We are at this moment# of enormous global uncertainty,## right?

There's all these shifts in terms of# alliances and just America's place in the world.

And I wonder how, as you're preparing for# this, because I know you prepare a ton going## into these Games -- do you anticipate some of# that's going to show up at the Games?

I mean,## will there be protests?

Will people try# to use this platform to make a statement?## What are you kind of getting ready for?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: You know,# the thing you wonder right## off the bat -- and I'm sure everyone# listening or watching .. yes, this is the one that comes to# mind.

Will the Americans be booed?

AMNA NAWAZ: Really?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: And t.. as a question with a question# mark at the end.

I don't know.

I have never seen in all of the Opening Ceremonies# I have covered, which is all of them going back## to '84 in L.A., I don't recall hearing boos.

Do I# think -- I will answer my own question.

Do I think## that the Americans will be booed as they come into# the Opening Ceremony?

My guess is probably not.

Number one, a lot of us tourists go to these# events, come overseas, other countries that might## be friendly to the U.S., also, although again,# that certainly has been an issue in the last year## with the Trump administration.

But I also think,# in general, people, even if they're angry about## things, don't necessarily force that or direct# that to the athletes who are coming in, right?

AMNA NAWAZ: It is fascinating you# feel the question has to be posed.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Oh, without a doubt,# the notion that politics doesn't enter## the Olympics.

And there might be people going,# oh, wait a minute, but they don't have politics.

Are you kidding?

I mean, this is# -- it's a mirror of our society.

AMNA NAWAZ: And you can find the# rest of that episode of "Settle## In" on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.