by sportswriter Liu Yang
MILAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States enters the Milan-Cortina Games with its largest Winter Olympic team in history, seeking to improve on its third-place finish at Beijing 2022 and challenge for the top of the medal table across multiple disciplines.
Team USA's 232-athlete delegation, comprising 115 women and 117 men, features a blend of established stars and rising talents across 16 sports, according to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Freeskier Abby Winterberger is the youngest athlete on the team at 15, while curler Rich Ruohonen will compete at 54.
The U.S. contingent includes 98 returning Olympians, including seven four-time Olympians, 10 three-time Olympians and 22 two-time Olympians. The roster also includes 33 Olympic medalists, including 18 Olympic champions who have combined for 22 gold medals.
Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled) leads the team with five Olympic medals, including three silvers and two bronzes. Kaillie Humphries (bobsled) has three Olympic gold medals, while Mikaela Shiffrin (alpine skiing) and Chloe Kim (snowboarding) each have two.
And the seven four-time Olympians are Evan Bates (figure skating), Nick Baumgartner (snowboarding), Faye Thelen (formerly Faye Gulini, snowboarding), Humphries, Hilary Knight (ice hockey), Taylor and Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing).
Alpine skiing remains a cornerstone of the U.S. medal effort. Shiffrin, with two golds and a silver at the Olympics, returns in strong form with World Cup wins and podiums and is a leading contender in slalom and giant slalom. The 30-year-old hopes to break the record for most Olympic gold medals in American alpine history.
At 41, Vonn headlines the American alpine team in Milan-Cortina despite an injury scare in her final World Cup downhill warm-up in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. She crashed and sprained her left knee in late January, leading to further evaluation. Despite continuing her Olympic preparations as scheduled, it remains to be seen if she can reach peak condition.
Figure skating could be one of Team USA's most productive medal arenas. Ilia Malinin, 21, enters Milan-Cortina as a leading gold medal contender after back-to-back World Championship titles.
The American squad also includes women's singles standout Alysa Liu, coming off a World Championship gold, and the established ice dance pair Madison Chock and Bates, who bring experience and consistency.
Speed skating is another key opportunity for the United States. Jordan Stolz, 20, is poised for a breakout Olympics after strong results across multiple distances in the World Cup events. Analysts widely project him as a favorite in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter races.
In snowboarding, Kim will chase a third consecutive Olympic halfpipe gold. Despite a recent shoulder injury scare, she has been confirmed to compete and remains among the strongest U.S. medal prospects.
Freestyle skiing remains a U.S. strength, with athletes such as Alex Hall, the 2022 Olympic slopestyle champion and X Games medalist, and Alex Ferreira, an Olympic halfpipe medalist, capable of adding to the U.S. freestyle medal tally.
In women's hockey, Knight, now 36, will lead the U.S. squad and aims to chase another gold in a rivalry with Canada.
On the men's side, NHL players are back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014, strengthening the roster to challenge traditional powers such as Canada, Sweden and Finland.
In sliding sports, Humphries and Taylor bring experienced leadership to bobsled events. Luge athlete Emily Fischnaller, a two-time World Championship medalist, provides medal potential on the Cortina track.
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins is competitive across distances, especially in the 10km freestyle and team sprint. She would likely be paired with Julia Kern. The two have won medals in the team sprint at the past two World Championships.
Biathlon remains a developing discipline for Team USA, but athletes such as Campbell Wright, with two recent medals at the 2025 World Championships, could surprise.
The U.S. has finished atop the overall medal count twice in Winter Olympics history, in 1932 and 2010. Nations such as Norway and Germany are expected to contend for overall medal dominance in Italy. With rising stars and established veterans, Team USA is positioned to compete for medals across the program.
