MILAN, Italy — Is it hopelessly naive to think five Olympic rings can bind 345 million American hearts in our bickering nation?

When we stand to shout U-S-A! during the Winter Games, can it unite us in red, white and blue pride, or does the chant now ring hollow?

“I’m incredibly proud to be here representing the U.S., wearing the flag on our (uniform) arms. Sports have an incredible power to bring us together,” declared veteran mogul skier Jaelin Kauf, a Wyoming native who owns an Olympic silver medal on her resume.

Team USA is ready to go at the Winter Games.

But are Americans ready to put aside their differences and get behind snow and ice sports that many fans wouldn’t give a hoot about if not for a USA logo on the uniform?

I don’t need to recite all the details of everything fraying our national fabric, from the Epstein files to the massive tax fraud and deaths in Minnesota to the snark that always seems to be swimming just beneath the surface in social media.

Tess Johnson traveled to the Italian Alps to bash bumps and mine gold, culminating a dream she has chased since childhood in Colorado, where she grew up as the daughter of a ski patroller and instructor at Beaver Creek.

“I’ve thought a lot about what it means to represent the States on this stage. I think that self-reflection is really important, given all the things that have been going on,” Johnson said Wednesday.

“I personally don’t stand any type of violence. I am a huge proponent of what the entire Olympic movement stands for. It’s connection, respect, love and compassion.”  

Does sport still have the power to heal?

A poll that dropped in my lap while I was pondering that question gave me hope.

In a survey of 2,000 U.S. sports fans, 79% said they feel a national unity during big events like the Olympics, according to research conducted by Betting.net. Also worthy noting in these contentious times: 87% believe sporting events bring people with differing political views closer together.

I’m not certain if the results of this poll are rock solid enough to chisel in stone.

But it does make me believe those chants of U-S-A! can still build bonds between us. 

Since moving from Texas to Colorado Springs more than three years ago to train at Broadmoor World Arena, Amber Glenn has blossomed as a figure skater. Now 26 years old, she scoffs at the idea of being a dinosaur in a sport long dominated by teenagers.

In fact, Glenn has a real shot to be the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in the singles competition since Sasha Cohen way back in 2006.

From Peggy Fleming to Sarah Hughes, a female Olympic figure-skating champion from the USA has been toasted as America’s sweetheart. But Glenn doesn’t fit in anyone’s stereotypical box. She’s pansexual and outspoken about it. 

“I hope I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times,” Glenn said, without specifying the hard times.

“I know a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics. But politics affect us all. It is something that I will not just be quiet about, because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives.”

Maybe it would be more comfortable if Glenn kept her politics out of sports. But perhaps the same standard should apply to fans who watch her skate.

Regardless of what you think about Glenn’s world view, should it have any bearing on the thrill of seeing her leap from the ice, execute a triple axel and stick the landing?

The trading of pins by Olympic athletes from all corners of the world is a time-honored tradition. Glenn has been giving out LGBTQ Pride pins to fellow competitors.

“It’s to show representation for my community,” Glenn told reporters last month during the 2026 U.S. Championships. “I want to continue to normalize having queer people in these spaces, that we can be some of the top athletes in the world and be ourselves while doing so, especially on such a global stage where not everywhere accepts people for who they are.”

Glenn is as loud and proud as those chants of U-S-A!

Has Glenn shared too much? It’s probably beyond the comfort level of some fans who love sports as a sanctuary from the world’s problems. Patriotism, however, often manifests in international competitions.

And it’s the life stories that have made Olympians hometown heroes to the whole country. We’re all different and fiercely independent, united by a U-S-A on the uniform. 

During the 16 days of skating, skiing and sledding between the Opening Ceremony and the time the flame goes out, how about we trade a few more fist bumps and a few less sarcastic barbs?

Is that too much to ask?

Rather than the medal count of gold, silver and bronze, maybe the success of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be more accurately measured by the grace of the American spirit in our hearts.