The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics: TEAM USA Hopefuls

Earlier this year I wrote several articles about American athletes hoping to make the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics next February. With a little over 90 days to go until the opening ceremonies I wanted to circle back. But first let’s add a new and familiar name.

Skier Lindsey Vonn

SUN VALLEY, USA – MARCH 23: Lindsey Vonn of Team United States takes 2nd place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men’s and Women’s Super G on March 23, 2025 in Sun Valley, USA. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

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What? Lindsey Vonn? Didn’t she retire from the sport in 2019? The same Lindsey Vonn now 41, who had two ACL tears, an MCL tear, shinbone fractures, and nine (9) knee surgeries (and until recently walked with a limp)? That Linsey Vonn? Yes.

Vonn, who won gold and bronze medals in the 2010 Vancouver Games (and was the first American woman to win gold in the downhill) and won silver in the 2014 Pyeongchang Games (becoming the oldest female alpine Olympic medalist at 33) is making a full-court press to make it to the 2026 Games in the downhill and the giant slalom. What happened? In April 2024 after years of debilitating pain Vonn would get a robotic-assisted titanium partial-knee replacement of her right knee. It was a game changer. By November 2024 she had announced her return to World Cup skiing. Many questioned her decision including Austrian downhill Olympic great Franz Klammer said she “gone completely mad.” Vonn was undeterred. And after a stunning second-place finish at a world cup event in Sun Valley in March of 2025 Vonn believes she has momentum going into her winter campaign in December.

As she recently told a writer for TIME magazine: “I am not a long shot. I am back in the game.”

Speed Skater Kristen Santos-Griswold

Currently considered the best speedskater in the world based upon her winning the Crystal Globe Award in 2025, has withdrawn from the 2026 U.S. Championships short track and world tour qualifier in September to prioritize recovering from a back injury. Though the official U.S. short track team will not be announced until December, Santos-Griswold is expected to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor

As of October 12, 2025, Elana Meyers Taylor is on the United States bobsledding World Cup team and is a hopeful for the 2026 Olympic team. She has not yet officially made the 2026 US Olympic team. The 2026 U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team will be named January 19, with selections coming directly from this World Cup roster. A midseason review scheduled for December leaves the door open for adjustments before the Olympic roster is finalized.

Speed Skater Jordan Stolz

The final 2026 U.S. Olympic team has not been announced, but Jordan Stolz is widely expected to make the team. He is currently competing in the 2025-2026 season, which includes World Cup events that act as Olympic qualifiers, and he is set to return to the Olympics for the second time. The official U.S. Olympic team will be finalized after the Olympic Trials in January 2026. Actor Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man) is co-starring with Jordan Stolz in a deal with NBC to do a series of commercials to promote the 2026 Games.

Freestyle Skier Alex Hall

Freestyle skier Alex Hall has already qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. He is one of four athletes who secured an early qualification spot for the U.S. Olympic freestyle ski team.

Hall earned his spot in both slopestyle and big air based on his strong performance during the 2024-25 season, which saw him rank as the top American among the top three athletes on the 2026 FIS Base List for those disciplines. He won the slopestyle Crystal Globe in the 2024-25 season and the big air Crystal Globe the season before.

“I’m super stoked to qualify for Milano Cortina a year early,” said Hall. “I feel like I had a great season and ended up winning the slopestyle Crystal Globe, so it felt really good to lock in my spot that way. I’m looking forward to the Olympics in Italy; I think it’s going to be sweet. My mom is Italian, so it’s going to feel a bit like a home Olympics for me as well. It will be amazing over there.”

Figure Skater Ilia Malinin

As the reigning world champion and world No. 1, Malinin not only is expected to make Team USA but to lead it. His performances over the last Olympic cycle have cemented his role as America’s best hope for men’s singles gold. His ability to land the most difficult jumps in the sport gives him a margin of advantage no other skater has. If he delivers a clean program, it will be extremely difficult for anyone else to match his technical base value.

Skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle

Ryan Cochran-Siegle has not yet been named to the 2026 Olympic team, as the final team selections will not be made until January of 2026. However, he is a strong contender and has expressed his goal of making the team for both downhill and super-G events. He was named to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team for the 2025-26 season, which is a major step toward making the Olympic team, according to Team USA.

Cross Country Skier Jessie Diggins

Jessie Diggins is expected to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, although the official US Olympic team has not yet been announced. As America’s most decorated cross country skier, she has been mentioned as a part of Dream Team USA for the 2026 games and has been training specifically for them, with reports indicating she will compete in six cross-country skiing events. The Olympic Committee will not name a roster until January 20, 2026.

Figure Skater Isabeau Levito

Barring injury or an unexpected setback, Levito very likely will represent the United States at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. She already has established herself as a consistent performer at national and international levels, and U.S. Figure Skating views her as one of the key pillars of its women’s team. Her rise from junior champion to senior national champion has been carefully managed, which puts her in a strong position to handle the immense pressure of Olympic selection. Olympic team skaters will be named January 11, 2026.

In addition, a few other familiar names to USA Olympic fans include:

Mikaela Shiffrin

Shiffrin, whose 101 World Cup victories are most all time by a man or woman, must wait until January 19, 2026 (along with many other US Ski Team members) to be officially chosen for the U.S. Olympic team. Shiffrin missed the bulk of the 2024-25 season due to serious injuries she sustained from a crash in Killington, Vermont. She also is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, eight-time world championships gold medalist and five-time World Cup overall title winner to boot.

Chloe Kim And Red Girard

On April 30, 2025 the U.S. Snowboard Team announced the first two athletes to officially qualify for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games: two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim in women’s halfpipe and Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard in men’s slopestyle and big air. The veterans secured their spots by ranking as the top American among the top three athletes on the World Snowboard Points List (WSPL) as of May 1, 2025. Kim took the world’s top spot in women’s halfpipe and Gerard was second overall in men’s slopestyle.