Every four years, the world’s best athletes compete in the Winter Olympics. Around 105 athletes have qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics for Team USA. Some of the strongest competitors are in skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, hockey, bobsled, and skeleton.
Ninety-seven athletes have qualified for the US ski and snowboard team. This team includes many returning medalists and Olympians, such as the alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who is the most decorated alpine skier of all time, a two-time Olympic champion, and a three-time Olympic medalist; Lindsey Vonn, an Olympic champion and three-time medalist; and the most successful speed skier in history;and the reigning Olympic champion and three-time medalist Jessie Diggins, who will be competing in cross country for her fourth and final time. The US freeski has Alex Hall, an Olympic champion; Alex Ferreira, a two-time Olympic medalist; and Nick Goepper, a three-time Olympic medalist. The US is also entering the snowboarding portion with the youngest gold medal winner in snowboarding and two-time Olympic champion, Chloe Kim. Olympic champions Red Gerard and Nick Baumgartner are also competing alongside Kim.
The US figure skating team consists of 16 athletes divided into two pairs, three ice dance teams, three women, and three men. Competing as solo figure skaters are Amber Glenn, a 2024–25 Grand Prix Final champion; Isabeau Levito, a 2024 World silver medalist; Alysa Liu the 2025 World champion; Ilia Malinin, a two-time world champion and seven time Grand Prix gold medalist; Maxim Naumov, a 2026 U.S. national bronze medalist; and Andrew Torgashev, a 2024 Grand Prix de France bronze medalist and a 2025 and 2026 US nationals silver medalist. The US figure skating pairs are Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, who won the Four Continents silver medal in 2022 and 2023 as a pair, and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who won the US National Championship in 2024. The ice dance teams are Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, who are two-time Four Continents bronze medalists; Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who are 2022 Olympic gold medalists and three-time world champions; and Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, who won the 2026 Four Continents Championships.
Both the US women’s and men’s hockey teams are set up for success in the Olympics this year with multiple former Olympic medalists. On the men’s side, significant players are Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson, who were on the US men’s hockey team in 2022, and Connor Hellebuyck, the Vezina Trophy winner for best NHL goaltender in each of the last two seasons. Collectively, the team has won five Stanley Cups and four IIHF World Championship titles. The Women’s team is coming in strong after winning the gold medal at the world championship in April of 2025 led by their captain Hilary Knight. Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein are also key players who were both instrumental in helping the US Women’s hockey team take home silver during the 2022 games.
The US bobsled and skeleton teams have multiple returning Olympians and past medal winners. Bobsledder Kaillie Armbruster Humphries has competed in the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics and has won three golds and one bronze. Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor has competed in the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Olympics and has won three silvers and two bronze medals. Kaysha Love, Kris Horn, and Frank Del Duca also competed in bobsled in the 2022 Olympics. Mystique Ro, Austin Florian, Kelly Curtis, and Dan Barefoot are the US skeleton competitors; of them, only Kelly Curtis has competed in past Olympics.
Being part of an Olympic team is proof of years of hard work and passion for a sport. With so many returning Olympians and medalists, the 2026 Winter Olympics are set to be exciting for Team USA.
