The U.S. Ski and Snowboard organization named its cross-country skiing roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on January 23, 2026. The team features eight athletes from Alaska, highlighting the state's strong presence in the sport. Notable selections include four-time Olympian Jessie Diggins and Stanford sophomore Sammy Smith, who balances soccer and skiing.
The announcement of the U.S. cross-country ski team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics underscores a blend of experience and emerging talent. Released on Thursday, January 23, 2026, the roster includes 16 athletes, with half hailing from Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. This unusually high representation from one state and club reflects the program's decade-long improvement, according to APU coach Erik Flora.
On the women's side, the team comprises Jessie Diggins, a four-time Olympian who won the U.S.'s first Olympic gold in cross-country team sprint at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games; Rosie Brennan, competing in her third Olympics despite recent health challenges; Kendall Kramer, a former University of Alaska Fairbanks standout and national champion; Novie McCabe; Hailey Swirbul; Lauren Jortberg; Julia Kern; and Sammy Smith. The 20-year-old Smith, a Stanford soccer defender from Boise, Idaho, earned her spot with wins at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Lake Placid and a 12th-place World Cup finish in Oberhof, Germany. She described the selection as making "a lifelong dream a reality," adding, "I could not be more excited to represent the U.S. at the Winter Olympics."
The men's team features Gus Schumacher in his second Olympics, Hunter Wonders, Zanden McMullen, and JC Schoonmaker, all from Alaska. Schumacher, who recently podiumed third in a World Cup relay in Switzerland, expressed optimism: "It's exciting to be feeling good, and have a big opportunity to do something that hasn't been done in a long time." He noted the U.S. men's last Olympic medal was in 1976.
Brennan, 37, has faced mysterious health issues but values her teammates' support: "They're the people that have seen everything that I've gone through." Swirbul, returning after a 2023 burnout hiatus, now coaches at APU and aims to inspire: "Sports are important but what really matters is the people... I think it's so important to try to lead by example with your effort."
The Olympics open on February 6, 2026, with cross-country events starting February 7. Former Northern Michigan University skier Zak Ketterson also joins the U.S. roster.
