Savannah Guthrie pulls out of hosting 2026 Winter Olympics coverage amid ongoing search for missing mother
- - Savannah Guthrie pulls out of hosting 2026 Winter Olympics coverage amid ongoing search for missing mother
Shania RussellFebruary 4, 2026 at 7:16 AM
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Savannah Guthrie on Today in February 2022
Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Savannah Guthrie will no longer host NBC's coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games amid the ongoing search for her missing mother.
Guthrie, 54, was due to be in Italy for the start of the Olympics on Friday, where she was slated to cohost the opening ceremony alongside NBC sports commentator Terry Gannon, joined by Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White for the Parade of Nations. But following news that her elderly mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, has been reported missing in Tucson, Ariz., the journalist and longtime Today anchor is backing out of hosting duties.
"Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time," an NBC Sports spokesperson tells Entertainment Weekly. "Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon."
Nancy Guthrie Missing Person poster issued by the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. on Feb. 1
Pima County Sheriff's Department
Authorities have stated that Nancy was last seen on the night of Jan. 31 outside her home in Tucson. She was reported missing the following day, after a friend from church alerted her adult children that she was absent from morning service. When they arrived at her home and could not find her, Guthrie's kids contacted the police to report her missing.
In an initial Sunday press conference, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos described the scene at Nancy’s house as "very concerning," noting that law enforcement was prompted to act urgently. The efforts to locate Nancy included airplanes, drones, helicopters, and search-and-rescue dogs on loan from Border Patrol. Hospitals in the area were contacted as well, but none reported seeing her.
Providing reporters with an update on Monday morning, Nanos announced that Nancy's disappearance is being investigated as a crime. He also shared that her Tucson home had been declared a crime scene due to circumstances that detectives deemed "suspicious in nature."
Nanos did not go into further detail about the crime scene, but denied Nancy's disappearance as "dementia-related." He stated, "She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off."
The family and authorities are especially concerned about locating Nancy quickly because she has been separated from her daily medication, the sheriff also said, adding that she is "in need of medication" and it "could be fatal" if she does not take her meds within 24 hours.
Missing Person poster for Nancy Guthrie
Pima County Sheriff's Department
Nanos confirmed that Guthrie was in Arizona as of Monday, with a security team. He added that police are not aware of any specific threats to the journalist that might be related to her mother’s disappearance.
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Following news of her mother's disappearance, Guthrie skipped Monday's broadcast of Today, and issued a brief statement that was shared by her colleagues.
"On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support," Said Guthrie's statement. "Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900."
on Entertainment Weekly
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