On Friday, Feb. 6, the United States will make its debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics during the opening ceremony with a team of 232 athletes, the largest U.S. delegation ever assembled for the Winter Games. The question now is not the size of the team, but how it will perform and what it brings to the international stage.
Of the 232 athletes, 98 are returning Olympians. Among the most notable are snowboarder Chloe Kim, freestyle skier Alex Hall and speedskater Jordan Stolz, all of whom enter the Games as favorites to capture gold medals.
At just 25 years old, Kim has dominated the snowboarding world since bursting onto the scene at age 14, when she won gold in the superpipe at the 2015 Winter X Games. She captured Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Games and successfully defended her title in 2022. Over the course of her career, Kim has earned eight X Games gold medals and became the first athlete to win titles across all four major snowboarding stages: the Olympics, Youth Olympics, X Games and World Championships.
Kim is expected to put on a show once again in Milano Cortina after making history last year as the first woman to land a double-cork 1080—two forward flips while spinning 360 degrees—in competition. However, her Olympic preparation was briefly derailed in early January when she dislocated her shoulder and tore her labrum during training. Despite the injury, Kim is still slated to compete and remains favored to win gold. A victory would make her the first snowboarder, male or female, to win three Olympic gold medals in the same event.
At 27 years old, Hall enters the 2026 Winter Olympics as a favorite after capturing gold at the 2022 Games. Beyond the Olympic stage, he has amassed 14 X Games medals and became the first athlete to earn gold in four skiing disciplines: slopestyle, big air, knuckle huck and Real Ski. Hall also made history as the first skier to land a 2160—six full rotations—in competition, making it clear that he is poised to put on a show in Milano Cortina.
On the ice, 21-year-old Stolz has established himself as a dominant force in the world of speed skating. After being crowned the overall champion in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500-meter events in the most recent ISU World Cup, Stolz enters the Games with gold firmly in his sights.
Also competing on the ice are husband-and-wife ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who will be returning for their fourth Winter Olympic Games. The duo has won the past five U.S. championships and seven overall, along with claiming the last two Grand Prix Finals titles and three World Championships. Seasoned by both experience and pressure, Chock and Bates are strong contenders to bring home an Olympic gold medal.
41-year-old Lindsey Vonn is currently set to return to the Olympic stage for a fifth time this year after coming out of retirement. Fans are eager to see how the veteran skier would measure up against a new generation of athletes, though a recent crash during a practice run has left her status for the Games uncertain.
In team competition, the U.S. hockey programs will take center stage. On the women’s side, the gold medal is once again expected to come down to a familiar showdown between the United States and Canada, as the two nations have met in all but one women’s hockey gold medal final since the sport’s Olympic debut in 1998.
The men’s tournament, however, is far less predictable. For the first time since 2014, National Hockey League (NHL) players will be permitted to compete, dramatically leveling the playing field. Much of the spotlight will fall on the Tkachuk brothers, who are set to compete together for the United States.
By all indications, the United States appears poised for a strong showing at the Games. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, the U.S. brought home 25 medals, including eight golds, finishing fourth overall in the medal standings. Historically, Norway has been the United States’ biggest competitor at the Winter Games, holding the all-time Winter Olympic medal record with 405 medals, with the U.S. close behind at 330.
With elite veterans returning alongside a wave of promising newcomers making their Olympic debuts, the United States has come ready to compete, setting the stage for a highly competitive and entertaining Games.
The Olympics will be streamed exclusively on Peacock, with the hockey tournament beginning on Feb. 5 local time, followed by the opening ceremony on Feb. 6. Competition will run through Feb. 22.