Four years have passed since the 2022 Winter Olympics where the USA delivered a strong performance and finished third in the medal table with 25 medals including 8 golds. The competitors are looking to continue this dominance this year in the 2026 Winter Olympics. This year, they are looking strong as ever as a few veterans are seeking more medals while a new generation of young and rising athletes is emerging.
The major contest which will be held in Milano Cortina has a variety of sports from alpine skiing to speed skating. However, the USA has historically excelled at four events which are freestyle skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, and alpine skiing. In detail, each event is unique but all of them have an affiliation with technical skills. Freestyle skiing especially focuses on tricks and jumps, and athletes are judged on difficulty, execution, and style, instead of solely speed. Snowboarding uses a single board and the US is known to excel at slopestyle and halfpipe. The course for the slopestyle event is similar to the freestyle skiing and is on a downward slope but instead has rails, boxes, and massive jumps. Meanwhile, halfpipe occurs in a 22 foot U-shaped ramp and mimics the skateboarding terrain. Figure skating combines athletic jumps with grace and artistic performance while alpine skiing is a straightforward speed contest. These events cover a variety of skills and only the best of the best can compete and excel in these categories.
Some veterans hoping to continue their reign in their competition include Alex Ferreira, Alex Hall, and Brittany Bowe. Alex Ferreira will be making his third trip to the Olympics and took home silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022. He is ecstatic to be representing his nation once again on the biggest stage and is looking to solidify his legendary status as a halfpipe specialist. He has swept five World Cups and has been skiing for over two decades. Like his fellow veteran, this will also be Alex Hall’s third appearance at the Olympics and made his debut in 2018. He won gold in 2022 in slopestyle and earned gold in four other events at the X Games, making him a formidable opponent. Brittany Bowe is making her fourth showing at the Olympics and is a proud USA speed skater that has won two Olympic bronze medals. Being the oldest of the three, she stated that she has learned a lot from previous years and it has shaped her into the athlete she is today. Though the veterans are a force to be reckoned with, shining stars are coming onto the Olympics stage in style.
Amber Glenn is making her first debut at the Olympics just weeks after winning her third straight US title. At first, she was terrified at the thought of being on the biggest stage, but she didn’t care and instead reflected on the impact she could make if she showed her prowess. Caroline Harvey on the other hand is a young hockey player with lots of promise. She was the youngest member of the team in the 2022 Olympics and helped lead the USA team to an Olympic silver medal which is no easy feat. She is not afraid to lose and instead thinks that success comes from knowing that the team tried their hardest.
Though this elite team across all events may be stacked, other international teams could pose serious challenges in all disciplines, and it will be a battle to determine who gets a medal. Canada stands out as team USA’s biggest rival, especially in women’s ice hockey and in freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Norway and Germany remain dominant in endurance and sliding sports like cross-country skiing, biathlon, and bobsled, while Italy, the host nation, is expected to be especially strong in alpine skiing and speed skating. Sweden and Finland also pose major challenges in ice hockey because of the returning NHL players. Overall, the 2026 Winter Olympics will showcase not only the variety of winter sports but also how Team USA must rise against elite global competition to prove its place on the world stage.
