Washington (United States) (AFP) – Alpine ski star Lindsey Vonn, seeking her fourth Olympic medal at age 41, was among seven Americans named to their fifth United States Olympic team on Monday. A record 232-member squad, including 98 with prior Olympic experience, was announced by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for next month’s Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
The lineup includes Vonn, who made a comeback from knee replacement surgery in 2024. She won downhill gold and Super-G bronze in 2010 at Vancouver and took a downhill bronze in 2018 at PyeongChang. Others set to make their fifth Olympic appearance include bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, whose five medals include three silvers and two bronzes; three-time bobsled champion Kaillie Humphries; figure skater Evan Bates; ice hockey player Hilary Knight; and snowboarders Nick Baumgartner and Faye Thelen.
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Taylor, 41, leads the team’s 33 prior Olympic medalists with five, while multiple gold medalists include Humphries with three and alpine ski star Mikaela Shiffrin and snowboarder Chloe Kim with two each. “Today we proudly introduce the 2026 US Olympic team –- a group of extraordinary athletes whose commitment, perseverance, and spirit reflect the very best of Team USA,” USOPC chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland said. “Congratulations to each member of this extraordinary team who have earned their chance to represent the United States on the biggest stage in sport.”
The 232 American Olympians include defenseman Seth Jones of the reigning NHL champion Florida Panthers, who was named to the US squad earlier this month before suffering an upper body injury and being replaced by Jackson LaCombe of the Anaheim Ducks. USOPC policy recognizes Jones as a member of the Olympic team. The largest prior US Olympic squad was 228 athletes at PyeongChang in 2018.
US Chef de Mission Rocky Harris called the American lineup “a team full of proven champions and fearless newcomers that have the potential to take Team USA’s winter performance to a new level and inspire a nation in the process.” The US squad includes 115 women and 117 men, with freeskier Abby Winterberger the youngest athlete at age 15 and curling competitor Rich Ruohonen the oldest at 54.
© 2024 AFP
