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Today at the USA Games – June 19

Home » Today at the USA Games – June 19

Team Kentucky Arrives In Minneapolis!

Team Kentucky at the Louisville Airport with Southwest gate staff who wore specially made USA Games T-shirts.
Team Kentucky got a MASSIVE sendoff from the Southwest Airlines gate staff at Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport.

Today, Team Kentucky athletes who have been waiting nearly a year for this day to come arrived in Minneapolis ahead of the opening of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

The team departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport this morning in a flight that included a Water Salute by the Airport fire department that had been arranged by team members at Southwest Airlines. The Southwest gate staff also had a banner specially made to celebrate the Team Kentucky athletes as they headed off to Minneapolis.

The team was greeted at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport by USA Games volunteers and fans and family members who had made the trip from Kentucky before heading to the University of Minnesota for the Games.

Out thanks to Miller Transportation and our drivers “Big E” and Diane for getting us to the airport this morning and to our friends at Louisville Sports Properties for their help in putting that together.

And thank you to the Southwest Airlines gate crew at Muhammad Ali International Airport and both of our Southwest Airlines flight crews for helping make our trip to Minnesota such a great experience.

See Photos from the Team Kentucky Departure

Team Kentucky arriving at the Minneapolis Airport
Team Kentucky was greeted by USA Games volunteers when they made it to the Minneapolis airport.

The Special Olympics USA Games open on Saturday with an Opening Ceremony at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium. The Ceremonies will get underway at 7:30 pm (ET) and will feature performances by Demi Lovato and Jon Batiste and will include the Parade of Athletes, the entrance of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg with Special Olympics Flame of Hope, the lighting of the Special Olympics Cauldron. The Opening Ceremonies will be streamed live by ESPN+ and Disney+.

Sunday, June 21, will be a practice day before competition starts on Monday.

Team Kentucky includes 36 athletes, 10 Unified partners, two caddies and 18 coaches and will compete in artistic gymnastics, bocce, bowling, flag football, golf, swimming, track and field and Unified Basketball.

The USA Games include nearly 3,000 athletes representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

For more information, contact Mark Buerger at mbuerger@soky.org or 859-338-607.