At a Glance
- 139 athletes have already qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games
- Figure skating announced a 16-member squad after nationals in St. Louis
- The final U.S. roster is expected to reach roughly 200 competitors
- Why it matters: Qualification paths vary by sport, shaping who punches their ticket to Italy and when
Team USA is rapidly filling its 2026 Winter Olympic lineup. With 139 athletes already booked for Milan Cortina, competitors are earning spots through international results, selection committees and, in some disciplines, U.S. Olympic Trials.
Ryan J. Thompson reported that the latest wave came from U.S. Figure Skating, which finalized a 16-athlete team Sunday after the national championships in St. Louis, Missouri. The governing body’s announcement adds to a growing roster that officials expect to cap near 200 athletes by the time the Games open.
Alpine, Biathlon and Cross-Country
Alpine skiing’s early qualifiers feature headline names:
- Mikaela Shiffrin leads the group
- Paula Moltzan, Nina O’Brien, Lindsey Vonn, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, River Radamus and Ryder Sarchett also secured spots
Biathlon locked in eight athletes:
- Luci Anderson, Margie Freed, Deedra Irwin, Joanne Reid
- Sean Doherty, Maxime Germain, Paul Schommer, Campbell Wright
Cross-country skiing’s first qualifier is Jessie Diggins, the Beijing 2022 gold medalist.
Curling, Figure Skating and Freestyle
Curling’s 11-person contingent mixes doubles and four-person specialists:
- Cory Thiesse (mixed doubles and team), Korey Dropkin (mixed doubles)
- Taylor Anderson-Heide, Tabitha Peterson, Tara Peterson, Aileen Geving (alternate), Danny Casper, Aidan Oldenburg, Ben Richardson, Luc Violette, Rich Ruohonen (alternate)
Figure skating’s star-studded roster includes:
Singles
- Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito, Alysa Liu, Ilia Malinin, Maxim Naumov, Andrew Torgashev
Pairs
- Emily Chan & Ellie Kam, Spencer Howe & Danny O’Shea
Ice Dance
- Christina Carreira, Madison Chock, Emilea Zingas, Evan Bates, Anthony Ponomarenko, Vadym Kolesnik
Freestyle skiing’s 12 qualifiers span aerials, halfpipe, moguls and slopestyle:
- Winter Vinecki, Kaila Kuhn, Quinn Dehlinger, Chris Lillis (aerials)
- Svea Irving, Alex Ferreira, Nick Goepper, Hunter Hess (halfpipe)
- Jaelin Kauf (moguls)
- Alex Hall, Troy Podmilsak (slopestyle/big air)
Hockey, Luge and Short Track
The women’s hockey team lists 22 players:
Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme, Joy Dunner, Laila Edwards, Aerin Frankel, Rory Guilday, Caroline Harvey, Taylor Heise, Tessa Janecke, Megan Keller, Hilary Knight, Ava McNaughton, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Gwyneth Philips, Hayley Scamurra, Kirsten Simms, Lee Stecklein, Haley Winn, Grace Zumwinkle
Men’s hockey counters with 25:
Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Brock Faber, Jake Guentzel, Noah Hanifin, Connor Hellebuyck, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Seth Jones, Clayton Keller, Dylan Larkin, Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy, J.T. Miller, Brock Nelson, Jake Oettinger, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin, Jeremy Swayman, Tage Thomson, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Vincent Trocheck, Zach Werenski
Luge named 11 sliders:
Singles
- Summer Britcher, Emily Fischnaller, Ashley Farquharson, Matt Greiner, Jonny Gustafson
Doubles
- Chevonne Forgan, Sophia Kirkby, Zack DiGregorio, Ansel Haugsjaa, Sean Hollander, Marcus Mueller
Short-track speed skating’s six skaters are:
- Eunice Lee, Julie Letai, Kamryn Lute, Kristen Santos-Griswold, Corinne Stoddard
- Clayton DeClemente, Andrew Heo, Brandon Kim
Snowboarding, Ski Mountaineering and Speed Skating
Snowboarding’s early list is brief but elite:
- Chloe Kim, two-time halfpipe gold medalist
- Jake Canter, Red Gerard
Ski mountaineering, making its Olympic debut, will feature:
- Anna Gibson, Cam Smith
Speed skating rounds out the tally with 13 athletes:
Women
- Giorgia Birkeland, Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson, Mia Manganello, Greta Myers, Sarah Warren
Men
- Ethan Cepuran, Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman, Conor McDermott-Mostowy, Cooper McLeod, Jordan Stolz, Zach Stoppelmoor
Selection Paths Vary
According to News Of Fort Worth, athletes land on Team USA through three main avenues:
- International competition results
- Sport-specific selection committees
- U.S. Olympic Trials in select sports
Each national governing body sets its own criteria, creating a staggered announcement schedule that will continue right up to the opening ceremony.
Key Takeaways
- 139 down, ~60 to go: Roughly 60 more spots remain before the roster hits the projected 200-athlete mark
- Figure skating is set: The 16-member squad announced Sunday is the largest single-sport block so far
- Big names are in: Stars like Mikaela Shiffrin, Chloe Kim and Jessie Diggins have already secured their places
The qualification window stays open through international events and trials, meaning the list will keep evolving until the team is finalized ahead of the Feb. 2026 Games.
