Figure skater Cristina Carreira had a rough start ahead of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. She found herself in a frantic scramble for costumes just before the event.
On Instagram, Carreira disclosed that she left for Italy without her costume, sharing her frustrations with FedEx, which failed to deliver on time. She mentioned the package was supposed to arrive by early Monday morning, but instead, it’s been stuck in Memphis without progress.
“Today I left for the Olympics without my costume. It was shipped last Saturday and was promised before 8:30 a.m. on Monday,” the 25-year-old skater stated. “I’ve been trying to contact FedEx since Monday, but everyone there has been really unhelpful. My package has been in Memphis since then, and despite being told it would catch a flight, nothing has changed.”
Designer Lisa McKinnon, who created Carreira’s costume, expressed her disappointment on social media, urging FedEx to resolve the issue. “We’re heartbroken and incredibly disappointed! We need it now!! Our Olympic costumes were stuck in Memphis since Sunday,” she stated in a post on January 29.
She added that they’ve been reaching out every day, only to hear it would be delivered “tomorrow,” but no real updates were provided.
Then, the day after reaching out for help on social media, McKinnon shared some good news. “Through a colleague in Memphis connected to our skating community, the package was finally located and is on its way to us! Thank you!!!” she wrote.
In an interview with USA Today, McKinnon mentioned that the Memphis area was facing challenges due to severe winter weather, which could make the circumstances seem inconsiderate.
Having finally arrived in Italy, Carreira is now getting ready to represent Team USA after a challenging lead-up to the games.
The Montreal native became a U.S. citizen in November, wrapping up a seven-year journey. “Applying for citizenship was stressful. To compete in the Olympics, I had to register and submit my passport, which wasn’t approved until recently,” she shared with NBC Sports.
Carreira and her partner, Anthony Ponomarenko, are set to compete on behalf of the United States, having represented the country in various competitions for over a decade.
The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off on Friday and continue until February 22.
