Mikaela Shiffrin is heading back to the slopes. The 31-year-old alpine skier from Edwards, Colorado, will compete at Milano Cortina 2026—her fourth Olympic Games—carrying with her four Olympic medals earned across 2014, 2018, and 2022. She'll ski alongside 231 other Team USA athletes who have qualified for the Winter Olympics in northern Italy, a roster that spans nine sports and tells the story of American winter sports excellence across generations.
The depth of Team USA's team speaks to something larger than any single event. These 232 athletes represent the pipeline of American winter sports talent—from seasoned Olympians who have competed multiple times to first-time qualifiers making their Olympic debut. Kaillie Armbruster Humphries, a bobsledder from Calgary who has competed in five Olympic Games (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026), carries six Olympic medals—three gold and three bronze—into Milano Cortina at age 40, proof that excellence in winter sports is not bound by a single decade. Her participation underscores the enduring commitment required to compete at the highest levels of international sport.
Younger athletes are equally represented. Alessandro Barbieri, a 17-year-old snowboarder from Portland, Oregon, will compete in his first Olympics, representing a new generation of American winter athletes. Brianna Schnorrbusch, 20, from Monroe Township, New Jersey, has also qualified in snowboarding. These young athletes train alongside more experienced competitors like Cayla Barnes, the 27-year-old ice hockey player from Eastvale, California, who has already won three Olympic medals across her previous two Games in 2018 and 2022.
The team draws from across the United States, from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between. Lucinda Anderson, a recent University of New Hampshire graduate, qualified for the biathlon while living in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Taylor Anderson-Heide, a curler educated at the University of Minnesota, will represent her hometown of Broomall, Pennsylvania. Spencer Akira Howe, the 29-year-old figure skater from Los Angeles, brings artistic excellence to the roster. Jackson Lacombe, the 25-year-old ice hockey player from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is making his Olympic debut after earning one gold medal. Dan Barefoot, a skeleton competitor and Penn State University graduate from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, joins the team at 35 years old.
What emerges is a portrait of American winter sports at Milano Cortina: a team with remarkable depth, experience across multiple disciplines, and a mix of first-time competitors and seasoned Olympians all competing under the same flag. The 232 qualified athletes represent months and years of training, sacrifice, and dedication to their sports. They will compete across alpine skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, figure skating, biathlon, curling, bobsled, and skeleton—a remarkable diversity of winter disciplines that showcases the breadth of American athletic talent. As Milano Cortina 2026 approaches, Team USA heads to Italy ready to represent their country on one of sports' biggest stages.