Every four years, the winter Olympics are held in a chosen city somewhere around the world. This year the chosen cities were Milano and Cortina D’ampezzo in Northern Italy. The entire roster, including alternatives, was 235 athletes.
Two months before, the Olympics the U.S. had already decided 16 athletes that they wanted to send to Milano Cortina to represent America. These athletes include people from all backgrounds and professions.
Korey Dropkin, 30-years-old, Duluth, Minn.
Dropkins competed in curling. He has played the sport since the age of five and is a three-time U.S. junior champion. He is also a two-time USA curling athlete of the year. Dropkin ended up winning the silver medal with his partner Cory Thiesse, according to teamusa.com.
Jack Eichel, 29-years-old, North Chelmsford, Mass.
Eichel is a hockey player for the Vegas Golden Knights and played on the U.S. hockey team. He was nominated for the Olympic Games after the 2024-2025 season, when he had a career high of 94 points from 28 goals and 66 assists. The U.S. hockey team took home the gold medal against Canada in a 2-1 game, according to nhl.com.
Alex Ferreira, 31-years-old, Aspen, Colo.
Ferreira competed in freestyle skiing. He previously won a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2020. In this year’s Olympics he won the gold medal, according to nbcolympics.com.
Redmond “Red” Gerard, 25-years-old, Silverthorne, Colo.
Gerard previously competed in the 2018 Olympic Games and won a gold medal in men’s slopestyle at 17 years old. In the most recent Olympics, he participated in snowboarding again, according to usskiandsnowboard.org.
Alex Hall, 27-years-old, Park City, Utah
Hall has been practicing since the age of 16, when he built rails in his backyard. He later competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics at 23 years old and received a gold medal in men’s slope-style. In 2026, he competed in freestyle skiing earning the gold medal for freestyle skiing, according to olympics.com.
Quinn Hughes, 26-years-old, Orlando, Fla.
Hughes is the current captain of the Vancouver Canucks, as well as playing the defenseman position. In 2024 he won the James Norris trophy for best defensemen. He played on the U.S. hockey team during the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to nhl.com.
Jaelin Kauf, 29-years-old, Alta, Wyo.
Kauf is a freestyle skier who won the silver medal in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She has claimed 16 World Cup victories, and this year, she competed in freestyle skating and won silver, according to usskiandsnowboard.org.
Chloe Kim, 25-years-old, Torrance, Calif.
Kim has previously won two gold medals, both in snowboarding. The first medal was in the 2018, PyeongChang Olympics, and the second medal in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. In 2026, she participated in snowboarding and won the silver medal, according to teamusa.com.
Auston Matthews, 28-years-old, San Ramon, Calif.
Matthews is an American hockey center who is the captain of the Toronto Maple Leaves and is the first captain of the team to be born in America. He played on the ice hockey team, according to nhl.com.
Charlie McAvoy, 27-years-old, Long Beach, N.Y.
McAvoy plays as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins and has been skating since the age of three. He joined the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and helped the U.S. win the gold medal at the 2015 under-18 World Championship, according to nhl.com.
Mikaela Shiffrin, 30-years-old, Edwards, Colo.
Shiffrin is a three-time Olympic athlete. She won a gold medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Olympics. This year, she competed in Alpine skiing and won gold, according to teamusa.com.
Cory Thiesse, 30-years-old, Duluth, Minn.
Thiesse partnered with Dropkin in the 2026 Olympics in curling. She began her career at the St. Paul Curling Club. She also participated in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, according to teamusa.com.
Matthew Tkachuk, 27-years-old, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Matthew Tkachuk is a left winger for the Florida Panthers. He has won back-to-back Stanley Cups for the 2024 and 2025 seasons while playing for the Panthers. He played on the ice hockey team this year, according to nhl.com.
Brady Tkachuk, 26-years-old, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Brady Tkachuk played on the USA ice hockey team. He is the captain for the Ottawa Senators. He also holds the record for the most goals scored by a player with at least 290 hits, according to nhl.com.
Campbell Wright, 23-years-old, Wanaka, New Zealand
Wright is a dual citizen of both the United States and New Zealand. He participated in the Olympics’ biathlon, a sport that combines both cross-country, skiing and rifle marksmanship, according to teamusa.com.
