JACKSON, Wyo. — There will be three local skiers representing the United States at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February.
Repeat Olympic athletes Jaelin Kauf and Breezy Johnson will return to the ski slopes for their respective events: women’s downhill and women’s moguls. Anna Gibson will make her Olympic debut participating in the mixed relay for an event also debuting this year: ski mountaineering (skimo).
Kauf joins Team USA for her third consecutive Winter Olympics. She placed 7th in moguls at the 2018 PyeongChang games and, four years later, brought home a silver medal from the 2022 Beijing games. Johnson made her Olympic debut in PyeongChang, where she finished 7th in downhill and 14th in Super-G, but a string of injuries kept her from racing in the 2022 games.
In December, Gibson — an accomplished middle-distance and trail runner — notched a spot for the United States at the Olympic skimo relay event alongside teammate Cam Smith, of Crested Butte, Colorado. According to Powder Magazine, Gibson had never attempted skimo, but with her background in trail running and Nordic skiing, she was poised to succeed. After attending a Team USA skimo training camp in Italy, she competed for a spot on the national team and earned the World Cup berth with Smith in Utah. Their gold medal in the mixed relay on Dec. 6, 2025, punched the ticket for Milan Cortina.
“I came for the sport, but I’m staying for the people,” Gibson posted to social media after qualifying. “To the USA skimo community, every single person — you have been the most unanticipated and welcome addition to my life. Becoming one of you truly feels like coming home. THANK YOU.”
Last week, the U.S. Ski Team announced its official Olympic roster, and Kauf and Johnson posted celebratory messages on social media.
“It’s officially official!!” Kauf wrote. “I couldn’t be more honored to be named to my 3rd Olympic team and be able to represent Team USA on the world stage for Milano Cortina 2026. Extra extra excited to have lots of friends and family back in the crowd this time around. See y’all in Italy!!”
“Excited to have qualified for the 2026 Olympics. They say the third time is the charm, right?” Johnson shared. “I never could have guessed at my first games the journey I would take in this career. Now in my thirties I’ve changed so much. But my love for this sport has only grown. I feel lucky and honored. But if my past experiences have taught me anything it isn’t over until the national anthem plays in the finish. So in many ways this feels like just the beginning. Four years ago this dream ended, now I have the opportunity to bring it full circle.”
