Lindsey Vonn's Sensational Comeback Secures Fifth Olympic Berth for 2026 Games
In a stunning development that caps an extraordinary return to elite competition, alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has been selected for her fifth Winter Olympics as part of a 97-athlete US Ski & Snowboard team heading to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. The 41-year-old's inclusion highlights a roster that blends veteran champions with remarkable inexperience, as nearly half the delegation will be making their Olympic debut.
Veteran Champions and Olympic Newcomers Unite for Italian Campaign
US Ski & Snowboard announced on Thursday that it had nominated 73 skiers and 24 snowboarders to represent Team USA at the Games scheduled from 6th to 22nd February across northern Italy. The team features 48 first-time Olympians alongside established stars including Mikaela Shiffrin, Chloe Kim, and Jessie Diggins. The age range spans from 15-year-old freestyle skier Abby Winterberger to 44-year-old snowboardcross rider Nick Baumgartner, who will be competing in his fifth Olympics.
Vonn's selection represents one of the most remarkable comebacks in winter sports history. Having retired in 2019, she returned to racing last season following a partial knee replacement and has achieved podium finishes in all five World Cup downhill races this season, including two victories. Her presence makes her a genuine medal contender in Cortina d'Ampezzo, where women's alpine events will be contested at a venue that previously hosted the 1956 Winter Games.
Shiffrin Seeks Redemption as Kim Aims for Historic Third Gold
Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated alpine skier in history, will compete in her fourth Olympics seeking redemption after a disappointing Beijing 2022 campaign where she failed to medal. She enters the Italian Games with strong World Cup form this season, particularly in slalom events. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim aims to secure gold at a third consecutive Olympics in snowboard halfpipe, though questions remain about her fitness following a recent shoulder injury sustained during training.
The roster confirms the absence of two-time Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson, whose attempted comeback after having two children fell short during the qualification period. US snowboard program director Rick Bower emphasised the competitive selection process, stating: "In many ways, making this team is even harder than the Olympics themselves. The depth of our field is incredible and selection truly came down to the wire."
Strong Medal Prospects Across Multiple Disciplines
US Ski & Snowboard accounted for more than 40% of the overall US Olympic delegation at the 2022 Beijing Games and secured 15 of the country's 25 total medals. Officials anticipate a similarly significant impact in Italy, where competitions will be staged across four main clusters in what organisers describe as the most geographically dispersed Olympics in history.
The alpine team includes 11 women and seven men, featuring returning athletes like Breezy Johnson, who missed the 2022 Games with a knee injury, and surprise Beijing silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle. In cross-country skiing, three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins will compete at her fourth and final Games before retirement, leading a team that includes several first-time qualifiers alongside experienced campaigners.
Freestyle skiing presents particularly strong medal prospects for Team USA, with Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf returning in moguls and Beijing gold medalist Chris Lillis competing in mixed team aerials. The snowboarding contingent remains anchored by proven performers including Red Gerard, who won slopestyle gold as a teenager in 2018 and returns for his third Olympics.
Geographically Dispersed Games Present Unique Challenges
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be contested across multiple Italian locations, with men's alpine events in Bormio, women's alpine in Cortina, Nordic events in Val di Fiemme, and freestyle skiing and snowboarding in Livigno. A total of 116 medal events are scheduled across these dispersed venues.
US Ski & Snowboard president and chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt expressed confidence in the team's potential impact, stating: "The athletes we are sending to the Games represent a large portion of Team USA and I am confident about the impact they will make in Italy." The organisation's chief of sport, Anouk Patty, added that this represents "one of the strongest teams we have sent to the Games" based on remarkable results across all ten sports disciplines.
The US Olympic team for Milano Cortina will be formally announced on 26th January, less than two weeks before the opening ceremony in Milan, marking the culmination of a rigorous two-season selection process based on World Cup and international competition results.
