TAHOE/TRUCKEE
The final U.S. Ski and Snowboard team rosters for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics were released on Jan. 22. Six athletes from Tahoe/Truckee made the cut for alpine skiing, nordic skiing, and snowboarding.
The U.S. Olympic Alpine Ski Team includes Carnelian Bay’s AJ Hurt, 25, on the women’s and Tahoe City local Bryce Bennett, 33, on the men’s. Both Hurt and Bennett are former Olympians and world cup podium-finishers. On the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team is another Tahoe Olympian, 25-year-old JC Schoonmaker.
Tahoe/Truckee also has debuting Olympians. Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride (OVFree) Team’s 15-year-old Abby Winterberger joins the freeski team for the Freeski Halfpipe as the only club-level freeski athlete to qualify directly to the Olympics. Winterberger began on OVFree at eight years old and bypassed the traditional route of making it onto the U.S. pro team before the Olympics.
“I was competing with the girls I have looked up to my whole life and they really pushed me to try my best and that’s what I did,” Winterberger told Moonshine. “I knew I had it in me this year. I didn’t really set that expectation for myself, but I knew I could do it.”
The U.S. snowboard roster brings fresh faces to the games as well. The team includes Truckee native Hahna Norman, 21, who will compete in slopestyle and big air. North Tahoe’s Hanna Percy, 18, also made the team for snowboard cross. Percy is the youngest member of the snowboard cross pro team.
“I am at a loss of words for how it feels to be going to the Olympics,” Percy said. “I have worked so hard these past few years and now seeing it pay off is the best feeling ever. I feel like being the youngest person on our team is impressive but also comes with the pressure.”
Read more about the athletes who vied for a spot in the Olympics.
Written by Megan Ramsey for Moonshine Ink
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