Frank Del Duca: Soldier, Bobsled Star and Flag‑Bearer Extraordinaire

Frank Del Duca is a U. S. Army sergeant who also races on the world’s icy tracks as a top‑ranked bobsled pilot. In February 2026 he carried the American flag at the opening ceremony in Milan, becoming the first bobsledder to do so in seventy years. He began his sporting life as a state champion slalom skier and triple jumper in Maine before moving to the University of Maine, where he won a long‑jump title and played American football for a local AAA team. In 2015 he joined the Army World Class Athlete Program, first pushing as a brakeman and later moving to pilot after missing the 2018 Olympic squad. His first Olympics came in Beijing 2022, where he placed thirteenth in both the two‑man and four‑man events. By 2026 he was ranked fourth worldwide in the two‑man bobsled standings.Del Duca’s family background is a blend of Italian heritage and American roots. His father owns restaurants in Bethel, Maine, while his maternal side traces back to Naples and Sicily. He was born in Florida but grew up in Maine, keeping close ties to his Italian culture. He married Haley in 2015; she is a nurse who has supported him by traveling to training sites. The couple has two young sons, Sebastian and Lorenzo. Although he earns a salary as an infantry sergeant, Del Duca admits that bobsledding is not lucrative. The sport’s high costs often leave him in the red, and he sometimes redirects his military pay to cover equipment and travel expenses.