The 2026 Winter Olympics, or more commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, are finally underway, providing fans with a taste of sports ranging from curling and figure skating to ice hockey and skiing. With 17 days of high-level competitions taking place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports. While every country has its own stellar prospects, here are the athletes from Team USA to keep an eye on.
Ilia Malinin – Male figure skater
21-year-old figure skater Ilia Malinin has racked up quite the resume as a two-time world champion, four-time U.S. national champion and three-time Grand Prix Final champion. Born to former Olympic figure skaters, Malinin has pushed the boundaries of figure skating, elevating the sport to an entirely new level. He remains the first and only skater to successfully land a quadruple Axel (jump with 4.5 rotations) in a competition, and the only skater to land all types of quadruple jumps (Toe loop, Salchow, Loop, Flip, Lutz and Axel). His talents have earned him the title of “Quad God,” and he is the top contender for the men’s figure skating gold.
Jordan Stolz – Male speed skater
21-year-old Jordan Stolz is a speed skating prodigy, earning the title of youngest single distance world champion in history and holds the world record in the 1,000 meter event. Originating from rural Wisconsin, his unique ability to dominate both sprints and endurance races sets him apart from the rest. Not only that, but his incredible technique and raw skill are aspects that also contribute to his success. Competing in the 500 meter, 1,000 meter and 1,500 meter sprints, he is projected to win gold for Team USA in all three events.
Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse – Mixed doubled curlers
Algonquin alum Korey Dropkin and Minnesota native Cory Thiesse have already made strides in securing their first ever Olympic medal, winning their first two matches against Norway and Switzerland. Beginning a partnership in 2022, the pair has found their rhythm with each other, winning gold at the 2023 Mixed Doubles National Championship and World Championship. Thiesse’s ability to read the ice and strategic skillset accompanied by Dropkin’s versatility playing a skip and sweeper gives them a huge advantage in mixed doubles curling, hopefully enough to allow them to take home the gold for Team USA.
Erin Jackson – Female speed skater
Former Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson was the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the winter Olympics during the 2022 Beijing Games, and is aiming to win another. The 33-year-old is a highly talented, versatile speed skater who has dominated the sport since switching from roller derby and figure skating in 2017. Competing in the 500 meter and 1,000 meter for this year’s Winter Olympics, she is also one of the two flag bearers for Team USA and is ready to defend her title.
Mikaela Shiffrin – Female alpine skier
Mikaela Shiffrin, accomplished alpine skier ever (men or women) with over 100 World Cup wins, is considered the greatest of all time (GOAT) in alpine skiing, and for good reason. The 30-year-old legend from Colorado has been a household name since the young age of 16, breaking multiple records and being a three-time Olympic medalist. She is best known for precision, mental toughness and versatility across all alpine disciplines (slalom, giant slalom, parallel slalom, alpine combined, super-G and downhill). Though she has experienced her fair share of injuries and mental hurdles in the past few months with recent crashes, Shiffrin has worked tirelessly to overcome her trauma and is ready to bring home gold.
Lindsey Vonn – Female alpine skier
Lindsey Vonn is one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history, and is making her highly coveted return at age 41 for this year’s Winter Olympics. Spanning 25 years of professional ski racing, specializing in downhill and super-G, she has earned 84 World Cup victories, four overall World Cup championships and three Olympic medals. After retiring in 2019 due to chronic knee pain and having knee replacement surgery in 2024, no one thought she would be back almost seven years later. However, Vonn came out of retirement in Nov. 2024, and against all odds, won her first World Cup race in Dec. 2024, validating her comeback. Most recently though, she completely ruptured her ACL during a downhill crash in late January. Though this is a very severe injury, Vonn has reported no pain while practicing and still plans to compete in the Olympics, hoping to win another gold medal.
Chloe Kim – Female halfpipe snowboarder
Chloe Kim is a halfpipe snowboarding icon, and has earned quite the reputation. At just 17-years-old, she won her first ever gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, becoming the youngest woman ever to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal. Since then, she has been on an uphill climb, holding a record-tying eight X Games gold medals in halfpipe and winning another gold medal during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Her raw talent and mental fortitude are unmatchable, redefining women’s snowboarding entirely by landing tricks previously only seen in men’s competition, such as back-to-back 1080s and 1260s. Despite setbacks with her mental health and injuries such as a dislocated shoulder, she is more than ready to win another gold medal and leave viewers in absolute awe of her skills.
