U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced a 97-person roster on Thursday for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, headlined by Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim. The team features 48 first-time Olympians and a mix of veterans, including 41-year-old Vonn's comeback after knee surgery. While Jamie Anderson missed selection, officials praised the group's strength and compelling stories.
The announcement came with few surprises, as selections were based on results from the past two years. The roster includes 50 women and 47 men, aged from 15-year-old halfpipe skier Abby Winterberger to 44-year-old snowboardcross rider Nick Baumgartner, who is competing in his fifth Olympics as defending mixed event champion.
Vonn, a four-time World Cup overall champion, returned last season after a partial knee replacement and has won two downhill races this season, bringing her career total to 84. She is favored in speed events and could team with Shiffrin in the Olympic debut of the combined event. Shiffrin, seeking redemption after a medal-less Beijing Games, has dominated slalom with six wins this season; she earned gold in slalom at Sochi 2014 and giant slalom at Pyeongchang 2018. Chloe Kim, aiming for a third straight halfpipe gold, is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in training earlier this month.
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins will make her fourth and final Olympics before retiring; she has three medals, including 2018 team sprint gold. Other notables include alpine skier Breezy Johnson, back after a knee tear before Beijing 2022; Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Beijing super-G silver medalist; slopestyle snowboarder Red Gerard on his third Olympics; and 17-year-old Ollie Martin, known for landing 2160-degree spins.
Notable absences include two-time slopestyle champion Jamie Anderson, who returned after having two children but failed to podium this season, and halfpipe veterans David Wise and Colby Stevenson. The team will comprise nearly half of the U.S. contingent in Italy, where skiers and snowboarders won 15 of 25 American medals in Beijing.
"I am confident about the impact they will make in Italy," said U.S. Ski & Snowboard president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. "More than the results, our athletes are also bringing some of the most captivating story lines to Milano Cortina."
Anouk Patty, chief of sport, added: "Throughout this season, we’ve seen quite remarkable results from our athletes across all 10 of our sports. I know this is one of the strongest teams we have sent to the Games."
The official team announcement is set for Monday, with the Olympics running February 6-22 across Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme.