By PAT GRAHAM and EDDIE PELLS, AP Sports activities Writers
Lindsey Vonn’s stirring return to ski racing in her 40s will hit its crescendo on the Milan Cortina Olympics, whereas the comeback quest of one other U.S. gold medalist, snowboarder Jamie Anderson, got here up brief.
Anderson, a two-time champion in slopestyle who returned to the game after having two youngsters, failed to succeed in a podium this season and won’t be part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard group within the mountains of Italy.
Mikaela Shiffrin made her fourth Olympic group, whereas snowboarder Chloe Kim is making an attempt to make it three gold medals at three Olympics — although her well being is in query after hurting her shoulder in coaching earlier this month.
They’re the headliners as U.S. Ski and Snowboard named its 97-person roster on Thursday. It contained few surprises, since just about all of the spots have been decided based mostly on outcomes during the last two years.
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United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin checks her time on the end space of a girls’s World Cup big slalom, in Kronplatz, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photograph/Marco Trovati)
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United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin checks her time on the end space of a girls’s World Cup big slalom, in Kronplatz, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photograph/Marco Trovati)
The 41-year-old Vonn, Kim and Shiffrin, who’ve 5 Olympic gold medals between them, lead a roster that’s brief in expertise. There are 48 first-time Olympians.
In all, there are 50 girls and 47 males, ranging in ages from 15 (halfpipe freestyle skier Abby Winterberger) to 44 (snowboardcross rider Nick Baumgartner, at his fifth Olympics, and defending champion within the blended occasion). The group is slated to be formally introduced on Monday.
The skiers and snowboarders introduced dwelling 15 of america’ 25 medals on the Beijing Video games 4 years in the past. They’ll make up nearly half of the whole contingent the U.S. brings to Milan Cortina.
“I’m assured concerning the influence they may make in Italy,” U.S. Ski & Snowboard president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt stated. “Greater than the outcomes, our athletes are additionally bringing a number of the most charming story strains to Milano Cortina.”
Vonn returned final season after a partial knee substitute and shortly started to indicate the shape that made her a four-time total World Cup champion. She’s gained two World Cup downhill races this season — to convey her profession complete to 84 — and can be a favourite in each pace occasions in Cortina. She might even pair with Shiffrin because the group mixed occasion makes its Olympic debut.
Shiffrin is making an attempt to bounce again after going 0 for six in her bid to win a medal 4 years in the past. She captured gold within the slalom on the 2014 Sochi Video games and gold in big slalom 4 years later in South Korea. She’s locked on this season within the slalom, successful six races.
This would be the fourth and closing Olympics for cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, a three-time Olympic medalist, together with gold within the group dash in 2018, who plans to retire on the finish of the season.
“All through this season, we’ve seen fairly exceptional outcomes from our athletes throughout all 10 of our sports activities,” stated Anouk Patty, the chief of sport for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “I do know this is without doubt one of the strongest groups we now have despatched to the Video games.”
Alpine snowboarding
It’s been a bumpy street again to the Olympics for Breezy Johnson, who tore her proper knee a month earlier than the 2022 Beijing Video games. The 30-year-old Johnson competed at 2018 Pyeongchang Video games.
Vonn and Paula Moltzan each have been as soon as taught at Buck Hill in Minnesota underneath the tutelage of late coach Erich Sailer.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle was a silver medalist within the super-G on the Beijing Video games.
Snowboarding
Eight years in the past, Crimson Gerard lit up the Olympics by successful gold in slopestyle at 17. He’s again for his third Olympics and now, there’s one other 17-year-old on the squad. It’s Ollie Martin, who’s the primary to land a pair of 2160-degree spins in reverse instructions and could possibly be a risk in each slopestyle and massive air.
The post-Shaun White period on the halfpipe begins with a roster filled with underdogs. Chase Josey returns for his third Olympics and Jake Pates is again after lacking in 2022. Neither has completed increased than sixth.
Freeskiing
Nick Goepper, who has two silver medals and a gold in slopestyle, strikes over to the halfpipe for his fourth Olympics. He’ll be joined there by Alex Ferreira, who has silver and bronze on the halfpipe.
David Sensible, who has two gold medals and a silver, didn’t make the group after failing to succeed in the rostrum over the qualifying interval. Additionally lacking is massive air silver medalist Colby Stevenson.
In slopestyle, Alex Corridor returns to defend his slopestyle title.
Moguls & aerials
Jaelin Kauf is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in moguls, whereas Chris Lillis will attempt to add to the gold medal he gained with Ashley Caldwell and Justin Schoenefeld in blended group aerials in China 4 years in the past. Winter Vinecki has a becoming first title as she competes in her second Olympics.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
