Over a dozen athletes with ties to Vermont have been named to the U.S. team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. These skiers, spanning alpine, biathlon, cross-country, and freestyle events, bring a strong Green Mountain State presence to the games set for February 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Many are returning competitors eager for a more normal experience after the COVID-restricted 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The selection highlights Vermont's deep roots in winter sports, particularly Nordic skiing, with many athletes training at places like Stratton Mountain School and Burke Mountain Academy.
In alpine skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin, a 30-year-old Burke Mountain Academy graduate, leads the group. She aims for a comeback after gold medals in slalom (2014 Sochi) and giant slalom (2018 Pyeongchang), plus a silver in alpine combined that year. Shiffrin skipped medals in 2022 and fell in the 2024 Killington World Cup but plans to focus on slalom, giant slalom, and team events. Joining her are Ryan Cochran-Siegle, 33, from Starksboro—whose mother Barbara Ann Cochran won slalom gold in 1972—and his third Olympics after a 2022 super-G silver; Paula Moltzan, 31, a former University of Vermont NCAA champion in her second Games; Nina O’Brien, 28, returning after a 2022 giant slalom crash; and debutant Mary Bocock, 22, a Dartmouth graduate from the Mount Snow skiing family.
Cross-country skiing features Julia Kern, 28, of the SMS T2 team, who debuted in Beijing. "The last one was in lockdown during Covid," she told VTDigger. "All of us agree that wasn’t a normal experience." She'll join Jessie Diggins, 34, seeking more medals before retiring—her 2018 gold was the U.S. Nordic first—across all six events from 7.5 to 50 kilometers; Ben Ogden, 25, from tiny Landgrove, focusing on sprints; Jack Young, 23, from Jay with Craftsbury’s Green Racing Project; and Lauren Jortberg, 28, with Mansfield Nordic Pro Team.
Biathlon boasts the strongest Vermont links, with four of eight team members connected, including three from the Army National Guard. Deedra Irwin, 33, from Jericho, earned seventh in the 15-kilometer in 2022—the best U.S. individual finish ever. Sean Doherty, 30, heads to his fourth Olympics. Debuts come from Margie Freed, 28, a UVM graduate with Craftsbury, and Maxime Germain, 24, a Guard specialist. Alternates are Jake Brown, 33, and Chloe Levins, 27, from Rutland.
Freestyle includes Mac Forehand, 24, from Winhall for aerials in his second Games, and Olivia Giaccio, 25, for moguls after growing up at Killington.
Unlike 2022, athletes like Kern plan family trips. "Then I’ll make sure to slow down," she said, "to appreciate and share this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
