USA's Austin Florian Wears Custom 'Venom' Helmet in Photo from Skeleton Race at 2026 Winter Olympics
American skeleton racer Austin Florian was the talk of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday thanks to the custom Venom helmet he wore while flying down the track at Cortina Sliding Centre.
The 31-year-old Florian was Team USA's best performer in men's skeleton on Thursday, finishing 14th in the first final heat and ninth in the second.
A 2025 IBSF World Championship gold medalist in skeleton mixed team, Florian enters the final two heats on Friday in 13th overall in men's skeleton with a total time of 1:53.54.
Florian will need a big comeback to get on the podium, but if he pulls it off, he would be the first American to medal in Olympic men's skeleton since Matthew Antoine won silver in 2014.
With a helmet inspired by the hugely popular Venom character from Marvel's Spider-Man series of comic books, cartoons and movies, Florian will perform in style regardless of the result.
