Four years ago at the Beijing Winter Olympics, 30 athletes with Minnesota ties took home 11 medals, led by nine women on the silver-medal winning U.S. women’s hockey team. The following Minnesota-connected athletes have claimed spots on Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy, which will be held Feb. 4-22. This list will be updated as more Olympic berths are earned.
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins (Afton), a former gold medal winner who recently announced she will retire after this season, qualified for her fourth Olympics.
Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn (Burnsville), who came out of retirement last year, qualified for her fifth Olympics at age 41 and will compete on the Cortina d’Ampezzo course she calls a second home. She’ll be joined by fellow Buck Hill alum Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake), who qualified for her second Olympics.
Fourteen players with Minnesota ties, including three players from the Wild and six from the Frost, were named to the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams on Jan. 2.
Two Minnesota long-track speed skaters — Greta Myers (Lino Lakes) and Giorgia Birkeland (White Bear Lake) — qualified for the Team USA this past weekend at the Olympic trials in Milwaukee. Myers, a first-time Olympian, will compete in the team pursuit, mass start and 1,500 meters. Birkeland, in her second Games, was selected as a team pursuit specialist.
In addition to U.S. Olympians with Minnesota ties, the following athletes who competed for Minnesota high schools and colleges or are current pros in the state will be in Italy representing other countries.
Know of other Olympians with Minnesota connections not listed here? Email sports@startribune.com or leave a comment with this article.
