U.S. Ski & Snowboard has officially nominated 97 athletes to represent Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, setting the stage for one of the deepest and most star-studded American winter sports teams in recent memory.
The Olympic Winter Games will run from Feb. 6–22, 2026, across northern Italy, with the full U.S. Olympic delegation scheduled to be formally announced on Jan. 26, 2026.
The roster includes 73 athletes from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and 24 athletes from the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team, making U.S. Ski & Snowboard once again one of the largest contributors to Team USA’s overall presence at the Winter Games.
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes accounted for more than 40% of Team USA’s delegation and delivered 15 of the United States’ 25 total medals, a benchmark the organization believes this group is capable of matching — or surpassing — in Italy.
“This is one of the strongest teams we have sent to the Games,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport. “Throughout this season, we’ve seen remarkable results across all 10 of our sports, and I know this roster is built to perform on the biggest stage.”
A Winter Games Spread Across Italy Like Never Before
The Milano Cortina Games will become the most geographically widespread Olympics in history, with competition staged across 25 venues in four primary clusters:
Milan
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Valtellina
Val di Fiemme
For ski and snowboard fans, the venues are set:
Bormio will host men’s alpine events
Cortina will stage women’s alpine racing
Val di Fiemme will be home to cross country, ski jumping and Nordic combined
Livigno will host freestyle skiing, freeski and snowboard events
With 116 medal events on the Olympic program, Milano Cortina promises to be one of the most ambitious Winter Games ever staged.
Nearly Half the Team Are First-Time Olympians
One of the most striking elements of the U.S. roster is its blend of proven champions and emerging talent.
Of the 97 nominated athletes, 48 are first-time Olympians, underscoring both the depth of the American pipeline and the generational transition underway in multiple disciplines.
The team also spans an extraordinary age range, from 15-year-old freestyle skier Abby Winterberger to 44-year-old snowboardcross veteran Nick Baumgartner, who is headed to his fifth Olympic Games.
“In many ways, making this team is even harder than the Olympics themselves,” said snowboard program director Rick Bower. “The depth of our field is incredible and selection truly came down to the wire.”
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Lindsey Vonn’s Stunning Return Headlines Alpine Storylines
Perhaps the most remarkable headline is the return of Lindsey Vonn, who will compete in her fifth Olympics at age 41 after a comeback few believed possible.
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion retired in 2019, but returned to racing last season following a partial knee replacement. Since then, she has reached the podium in every downhill World Cup this year, including multiple victories, making her a legitimate medal contender once again.
Vonn will race alongside the most decorated American alpine skier of all time, Mikaela Shiffrin, who is set for her fourth Olympic appearance.
Shiffrin enters Milano Cortina seeking redemption after a difficult Beijing Games in 2022, where she left without a medal. This season, however, she has rebounded with multiple World Cup wins, particularly in slalom.
The alpine roster is also anchored by Olympic medalists such as Ryan Cochran-Siegle, and veterans including Breezy Johnson and Paula Moltzan.
“This is a deep, experienced and incredibly motivated alpine team,” Patty said. “Every skier on this roster has proven they can perform under pressure.”
Jessie Diggins Set for Final Olympic Chapter
In cross country, Olympic champion Jessie Diggins will compete in what she has called her fourth and final Games.
Diggins remains the face of American distance skiing, leading a team that includes returning Olympians Rosie Brennan, Julia Kern, and Gus Schumacher, along with rising first-time qualifiers.
Program director Chris Grover believes the U.S. is positioned to contend in key events.
“We have athletes at the pinnacle of their craft, winning World Cups and showing what is possible for USA cross country,” Grover said. “We’ll be medal threats in some key Olympic events.”
Freestyle and Freeski Teams Loaded With Medal Potential
Freestyle skiing remains one of Team USA’s strongest medal pipelines.
Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf returns in moguls, while aerials gold medalist Chris Lillis is back after his breakthrough performance in Beijing.
Olympic champion Alex Hall leads the freeski squad, joined by two-time medalist Alex Ferreira and three-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper, who is headed to his fourth Games and has transitioned from slopestyle into halfpipe.
“This freeski team has been forged through a long summer of intense training,” said program director Skogen Sprang. “Every athlete has risen under immense pressure.”
Snowboarding Anchored by Chloe Kim and Red Gerard
On the snowboard side, Team USA will once again be led by some of the sport’s biggest Olympic stars.
Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic champion in halfpipe, is aiming to become the first snowboarder ever to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals.
While Kim is recovering from a recent shoulder injury, officials expect her to be ready to compete in Livigno.
2018 slopestyle gold medalist Red Gerard returns for his third Olympics, while snowboardcross legend Nick Baumgartner continues defying time as the oldest athlete on the roster.
“I love setting goals people think are unreachable and then proving them wrong,” Baumgartner said recently. “Father Time hasn’t beaten me yet.”
Jamie Anderson’s Olympic Comeback Falls Short
One notable absence from the roster is two-time Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson, whose attempt to return to Olympic competition after having two children did not result in qualification.
Anderson battled multiple injuries this season, including a broken wrist and concussion, and the U.S. ultimately qualified only three quota spots in women’s slopestyle.
Three first-time Olympians will represent the U.S. instead: Lily Dhawornvej, Hahna Norman and Jess Perlmutter.
Looking Ahead to February in Italy
With nearly 100 athletes, multiple Olympic champions, and almost half the roster making their Olympic debut, Team USA’s ski and snowboard contingent is poised to once again be one of the most compelling forces at the Winter Games.
“The athletes we are sending represent a large portion of Team USA,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “More than results, they are bringing some of the most captivating storylines to Milano Cortina.”
The Milano Cortina Olympics will open on Feb. 6, 2026, with competition running through Feb. 22, culminating in what could be another defining chapter for American winter sports.