The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are coming up on Feb. 4, and there are some big stars waiting to compete for the U.S. The U.S. ranks second all-time for the most medals won at the Winter Olympic Games with 330. Here are some of the athletes to watch for the upcoming games.
Snowboarding
Chloe Kim qualified for snowboarding in the halfpipe event for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Kim is 25 years old from Torrance, California. She began snowboarding at just four years old, and at age 13, she placed second in her X Games debut. Kim made her Olympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and won gold in the women’s halfpipe. At 17 years old, Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding. She also became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe and to land a 1260 in halfpipe. Kim is tied with Shaun White for the most halfpipe wins with eight in X Games history, as well as being the first athlete to win all four major snowboarding events, including the Youth Winter Olympics, the Olympics, X Games and International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Championships. Kim sustained a torn labrum in her shoulder in early January 2026 and won’t be competing leading up to the games, but she is still planning to compete in the Olympics in February.
Figure Skating
Ilia Malinin qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics for figure skating in men’s singles. Malinin is a 21-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, and this will be his first time competing in the Olympics. He began skating at the age of six, inspired by his figure skating parents and grandfather. He was named an alternate for the 2022 Winter Olympics and won gold at the 2022 World Junior Championships. After that win, Malinin excelled in all the competitions that he competed in, including winning back-to-back titles at the International Skating Union Figure Skating World Championship. He has earned the nickname “QuadGod” for his signature quad jumps and was also the first athlete to successfully land each of the six quadruple jumps in one program.
Cross-Country Skiing
Jessie Diggins qualified for cross-country skiing for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Diggins is a 34-year-old from Afton, Minnesota, and began skiing at the age of three. She made her World Cup debut in 2011 after emerging as a top competitor in the U.S. junior ranks. In her Olympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, she competed with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint and won gold, earning the first Olympic gold for the U.S. in cross-country skiing. In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, she earned silver in the individual sprint and bronze in the 30-kilometer freestyle. Outside of the Olympics, she has found success on the World Cup circuit, winning the overall title in 2021 and multiple world championships.
Bobsled
Elana Myers Taylor qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics for bobsled in the monobob and the two-woman bobsled. Taylor is 41 from Douglasville, Georgia, and got to hold the Olympic torch at 11 years old for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She excelled in many sports throughout high school and even played softball in college before beginning her bobsled career in 2007, making the national team her rookie season. She made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and has since earned a bronze and two silvers in the two-woman bobsled 2010, 2014 and 2018 games. She became the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history by winning a silver medal in women’s monobob and bronze in the two-woman bobsled. She also currently holds the most Olympic medals for a woman in bobsled.
The Olympics are set to start on Feb. 4, with the opening ceremony on Feb. 6 and the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 in Milano Cortina, Italy. Some of the first events on Feb. 4 and 5 are curling, ice hockey and snowboarding, and the first sports to award medals are skiing events, snowboarding and speed skating on Feb. 7. The last events to wrap up on Feb. 22 are bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling and ice hockey. The games are available to watch on NBC and USA Networks for some coverage and highlights, or stream them on Peacock for access to all events.
