Lindsey Vonn’s stirring return to ski racing in her 40s will hit its crescendo at the Milan Cortina Olympics, while the comeback quest of another gold medalist from the United States, snowboarder Jamie Anderson, came up short.
Anderson, a two-time champion in slopestyle who returned to the sport after having two children, failed to reach a podium this season, and the 35-year-old will not join the U.S. skiing and snowboarding team in the mountains of Italy next month.
Mikaela Shiffrin made her fourth Olympic team at age 30, while snowboarder Chloe Kim is trying to make it three gold medals at three Olympics — though the 25-year-old’s health is in question after hurting her shoulder while training earlier this month.
They were the headliners Thursday when they U.S. Ski and Snowboard revealed its 97-person Olympic roster. It included few surprises, with virtually all the spots determined based on results over the past two years.
The 41-year-old Vonn, Kim and Shiffrin, who have five Olympic gold medals between them, lead a roster that is short in experience. There are 48 first-time Olympians.
In all, there are 50 women and 47 men, ranging in ages from 15 (half-pipe freestyle skier Abby Winterberger) to 44 (snowboardcross rider Nick Baumgartner, at his fifth Olympics, and a reigning champion in the mixed event).
The skiers and snowboarders brought home 15 of the United States’ 25 medals at the Beijing Games four years ago. They’ll make up almost half of the entire contingent the U.S. takes to the next month’s competition.
“I am confident about the impact they will make in Italy,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, the president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “More than the results, our athletes are also bringing some of the most captivating story lines to Milano Cortina.”
Vonn returned last season after a partial knee replacement and quickly began to show the form that made her a four-time overall World Cup champion. She has won two World Cup downhill races this season — to bring her career total to 84 — and will be a favorite in both speed events in Italy. She may even pair with Shiffrin as the team combined event makes its Olympic debut.
Shiffrin is trying to bounce back after going 0-for-6 in her bid to win a medal four years ago. She captured gold in the slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia, then did it again in giant slalom four years later in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She’s locked in this season in the slalom, winning six races.
This will be the fourth and final Olympics for cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, a three-time Olympic medalist whose accolades include gold in the team sprint in 2018. Now 34, she plans to retire at the end of the season.
“Throughout this season, we’ve seen quite remarkable results from our athletes across all 10 of our sports,” said Anouk Patty, the chief of sport for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “I know this is one of the strongest teams we have sent to the Games.”
Here’s a closer look at some other members of the team, grouped by discipline.
Alpine skiing
It’s been a bumpy road back to the Olympics for Breezy Johnson, now 30, who tore her right knee up a month before the 2022 Beijing Games. She competed in 2018 at Pyeongchang.
Vonn and Paula Moltzan both were once taught at Buck Hill in Minnesota under the tutelage of Erich Sailer, who died last year.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle was a silver medalist in the super-G at the Beijing Games.
Snowboarding
Eight years ago, Red Gerard lit up the Olympics by winning gold in slopestyle at age 17. He’s back for his third Olympics, and now there’s another 17-year-old on the squad. It’s Ollie Martin, who is the first to land a pair of 2,160-degree spins in opposite directions and could be a threat in both slopestyle and big air.
The Americans’ post-Shaun White era on the half-pipe starts with a roster full of underdogs. Chase Josey returns for his third Olympics, and Jake Pates is back after missing in 2022. Neither has finished higher than sixth.
Freeskiing
Nick Goepper, who has two silver medals and a gold in slopestyle, moves over to the half-pipe for his fourth Olympics. He’ll be joined there by Alex Ferreira, who has silver and bronze on the half-pipe.
David Wise, who has two gold medals and a silver, didn’t make the team after failing to reach the podium during the qualifying period. Also missing is former big air silver medalist Colby Stevenson.
In slopestyle, Alex Hall returns after winning gold four years ago.
Moguls and aerials
Jaelin Kauf is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in moguls, while Chris Lillis will try to add to the gold medal he won with Ashley Caldwell and Justin Schoenefeld in mixed team aerials in China four years ago. Winter Vinecki has a fitting first name as she competes in her second Olympics.