The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games kick off this week, with the opening ceremony taking place on Friday, Feb. 6. In total, the 2026 U.S. Olympic Team consists of 232 athletes. Among those athletes, 15 hail from Michigan.
Here’s a breakdown by sport of Michiganders competing in the 2026 Olympic Winter games, along with some fun facts.
Figure Skating
Evan Bates (Ann Arbor)
The 36-year-old ice dancer is competing in his fifth Olympic Games. He previously was a member of Team USA in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. He’s a proud alumni of the University of Michigan and is one of 53 people on his father’s side of his family to graduate from U-M. Bates and his ice dancing partner, Madison Chock, were married in June 2024. In January, the duo became the most decorated ice dance team in history by winning their fifth consecutive U.S. title and their seventh overall. The record was previously held by Michigan natives Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who won six U.S. ice dancing titles.
Christina Carreira (Saint Clair)
Born in Montreal, the 25-year-old ice dancer moved to Novi in 2013 for training. After many years, Carreira finally obtained U.S. citizenship in November 2025. Carreira is one of several Michiganders competing in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games who are first-time Olympians.
Emilea Zingas (Grosse Pointe Farms)
Zingas was previously a singles skater for Cyprus before pivoting to being an ice dancer in the United States. She and her partner, Vadym Kolesnik, have been competing as a pair since 2022. This is the first time Zingas is competing in the Olympic Games.
RELATED: Meet Kristen Schuyten: Team USA Figure Skating’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
Snowboarding
Nick Baumgartner (Iron River)
Baumgartner proudly represents Michigan’s upper peninsula as a member of Team USA snowboarding. This is his fifth Olympic Games, and he previously competed in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. At the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022, he won gold with Lindsey Jacobellis in the Snowboard Cross Team – Mixed event, making him the oldest medalist in Olympic snowboarding history at age 40.
Jake Vedder (Pinckney)
Vedder is completing in his second Olympic Games after previously being a member of Team USA in 2022 in Beijing. The 27-year-old began snowboarding at the age of five, and his specialty event is the Men’s Snowboardcross.
Ice Hockey
Kyle Connor (Shelby Township)
A forward for the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL, Connor is competing in his first Olympic Games. Before his NHL career, Connor was a member of the University of Michigan’s men’s hockey team for one season. During that time, he was named the National Rookie of the Year and was selected as a First Team All-American. In the NHL, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Award in 2022, which recognizes sportsmanship on the ice.
Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce)
Another member of the Winnipeg Jets competing in his first Olympic Games in goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 32-year-old has earned several honors in the NHL, including winning the Vezina Trophy in 2020, 2024, and 2025 for being the best goaltender in the league. In 2025, he also won the Hart Memorial Trophy for being the most valuable player to his team.
Jack & Quinn Hughes (Canton)
The Hughes brothers both play in the NHL and are participating in their first Olympic Games. Jack, 24, is a forward for the New Jersey Devils. Quinn, 26, is a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild. Their younger brother, Luke, is a 22-year-old defenseman for the New Jersey Devils.
Megan Keller (Farmington Hills)
Keller is participating in her third Olympic Games. In 2018, she was a member of the gold medal-winning Women’s Ice Hockey team in Pyeongchang. In 2022, she won silver with Team USA in Beijing. She’s currently a member of the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Dylan Larkin (Waterford)
The captain of the Detroit Red Wings is participating in his first Olympic Games. His previous international experience consisted of being a member of the U.S. men’s hockey team at the World Championships for five consecutive years from 2015-2019. During that time, he won two bronze medals in 2015 and 2018.
Kirsten Simms (Plymouth)
Simms is completing in her first Olympic Games and has been part of the U.S. women’s national hockey team since 2024. She is also currently is a member of the University of Wisconsin’s women’s hockey team. Simms helped lead the Badgers to a 2025 national title thanks to a game-tying penalty shot (below) and went on to score the game-winning goal in overtime.
Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe Woods)
The 28-year-old defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets is a first-time Olympian. Before heading to the NHL, Werenski played two seasons with the University of Michigan. During that time, he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In his final season at U-M, Werenski was named a NCAA First Team All-American.
Freestyle Skiing
Kaila Kuhn (Boyne City)
According to her Team USA bio, Kuhn’s parents put her on skis at just 18 months old. However, she spent her childhood as a gymnast. At the suggestion of Winter Vinecki, Kuhn switched to Aerials and competed in her first World Championships when she was 15. Now 22, Kuhn is competing in her first Olympic Games.
Winter Vinecki (Gaylord)
The 27-year-old Vinecki is participating in her second Olympic Games. She was previously a member of Team USA at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. As if beginning in aerials skiing at age 12 weren’t impressive enough, Vinecki set a world record at age 14 when she became the youngest person to run a marathon on every continent. (Yes, including Antarctica!)
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