Red Gerard's family returns to Winter Olympics with double the support

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LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Get ready for another celebration — a big one — if U.S. snowboarder Red Gerard wins another gold medal.

After missing the last go-round, Gerard’s family will return to the Winter Olympics to cheer him on. This year, he will have around 40 people on hand at the snow park in Livigno, doubling the number who traveled to Pyeongchang and triggered an epic celebration when he took the gold in slopestyle eight years ago.

Gerard, 25, is making his third Olympic appearance. He is part of a close-knit family that includes sister Tieghan, a food blogger who is hosting a big, family dinner in Milan halfway through the Games. Gerard will compete in big air, starting Thursday, then return to the mountains for slopestyle on Feb. 18.

Gerard’s family missed the 2022 Beijing Games because of COVID-19 restrictions. Gerard finished fourth that year.

“They were bummed to miss Beijing,” Gerard said Monday during a news conference with the American snowboarders.

His teammates joked that you are more likely to see a Gerard than a local, given the number of family members coming.

Gerard said he doesn’t expect as rowdy party as in 2018. His brothers have had kids and mellowed out, he explained.

“Everyone’s kind of tamed out a little bit,” Gerard said. “Maybe a mellower crew, but you kind of never know what you are getting with them.”

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AP Winter Olympics coverage https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics