Flavor Flav Returns to the Olympics as Official Hype Man for U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Team

The Public Enemy rapper and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will serve as the official sponsor and hype man for the U.S. bobsled and skeleton team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, bringing his signature energy, booming charisma, and unmistakable voice to the icy tracks of Milan–Cortina, Italy.

This isn’t Flavor Flav’s first Olympic adventure. The 65-year-old music legend made waves at the 2024 Paris Games when he sponsored and cheered on the U.S. women’s water-polo team, becoming an unexpected but beloved figure among athletes and fans. Photos of him decked out in Team USA gear and sporting red, white, and blue variations of his iconic clock necklace went viral, cementing his reputation as one of the Olympics’ most memorable supporters.

Now, two years later, he’s trading the pool for the ice: “the partnership is a blessing,” Flav told the Associated Press. “It’s cooler than Cool Runnings. It’s Coolest Runnings.”

The rapper’s playful reference to the 1993 Disney film, inspired by Jamaica’s debut Olympic bobsled team, captures the spirit of what he aims to bring: joy, motivation, and a dash of chaos-meets-inspiration to an often overlooked winter sport.

Ahead of Monday’s announcement, Flavor Flav joined the U.S. team for training at the Olympic track in Park City, Utah, where he even tried skeleton, the headfirst, high-speed sliding event, for the first time.

Athletes said the atmosphere transformed the moment he arrived. “Put aside the fact that Flav is one of the greatest hype men of all time,” said U.S. skeleton racer Dan Barefoot. “The energy in the room … you had people who often aren’t talking to each other high-fiving and hugging because of the experience of being around him. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of confidence around us right now.”

According to team members, Flav’s presence lifted spirits and injected a level of enthusiasm rarely seen during early-season training sessions.

While his involvement may seem unconventional, Flavor Flav has been vocal about making this his next chapter. In a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, he hinted that his water-polo collaboration wouldn’t be the end of his Olympic journey: “if everything goes well, I’ll be doing this for the next five years into the next Olympics,” he said at the time. “I might even do it for another five.”

That prediction appears to be coming true. With this new partnership, Flav is carving out a unique niche, one part cheerleader, one part cultural ambassador, all wrapped in pure, unapologetic entertainment.

For Team USA’s bobsled and skeleton athletes, sports often fighting for attention compared to marquee winter events like figure skating or snowboarding, having Flavor Flav in their corner could prove to be a publicity game-changer.

The rapper’s involvement not only spotlights the dedication of the athletes but also brings the wider Olympic audience a reason to tune in. Whether he’s shouting encouragement from the sidelines or hyping up fans across social media, Flav’s goal is the same as always: to make people feel something. “I just want to give back some of the love that the world’s given me,” he said.

As the countdown to Milan–Cortina 2026 continues, the collaboration between the U.S. team and Flavor Flav already has fans buzzing, a perfect blend of athletic precision and pop-culture flair. And if his track record in Paris is any indication, expect more than a few viral moments when the hype man of hip-hop meets the high speeds of Olympic bobsledding.