Meet the Minnesotans competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics
Afton native Jessie Diggins has proudly represented her country at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Now the 34-year-old cross country skiing superstar is preparing for her swan song at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. She announced months ago that she plans to retire upon the conclusion of the World Cup campaign, which means this is the last time she will wear the red, white, and blue as a professional.
It would be storybook ending for Diggins if she could add another gold medal to her collection over the next couple of weeks. She became a household name nearly a decade ago when she teamed up with her childhood idol Kikkan Randall and brought home a gold medal.
You could make the argument that nobody has helped grow the sport more in the U.S. than Diggins over the past decade. She has carried herself with an unmistakable joy that has become her calling card. She also has used her platform to fearlessly advocate for mental health at every opportunity.
That’s something Minnesotans can be proud as Diggins headlines a large contingent from her home state at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Here’s a full list of the Minnesotans set to compete:
MINNESOTA OLYMPIANS
Luci Anderson
Age: 25
Sport: Biathalon
Country: USA
Connection: Golden Valley native
Taylor Anderson-Heide
Age: 30
Sport: Curling (Mixed)
Country: USA
Connection: Gophers alumna
Giorgia Birkeland
Age: 23
Sport: Speedskating
Country: USA
Connection: White Bear Lake native
Matt Boldy
Age: 24
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Wild forward
Josefin Bouveng
Age: 24
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Gophers forward
Danny Casper
Age: 24
Sport: Curling (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Gophers alumnus
Kendall Coyne Schofield
Age: 33
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost forward
Britta Curl-Salemme
Age: 25
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost forward
Jessie Diggins
Age: 34
Sport: Cross Country Skiing
Country: USA
Connection: Afton native
Korey Dropkin
Age: 30
Sport: Curling (Mixed)
Country: USA
Connection: Minnesota Duluth alumnus
Joel Eriksson Ek
Age: 29
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Wild forward
Brock Faber
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Wild defenseman, Maple Grove native
Margie Freed
Age: 28
Sport: Biathlon
Country: USA
Connection: Apple Valley native
Adam Gajan
Age: 21
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Slovakia
Connection: Minnesota Duluth goaltender
Aileen Geving
Age: 38
Sport: Curling (Mixed)
Country: USA
Connection: Duluth native
Jake Guentzel
Age: 31
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Woodbury native
Rory Guilday
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Chanhassen native
Filip Gustavsson
Age: 27
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Wild goaltender
Erik Haula
Age: 34
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Finland
Connection: Gophers alumnus
Taylor Heise
Age: 25
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost forward, Lake City native
Tindra Holm
Age: 24
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Minnesota Duluth goaltender
Quinn Hughes
Age: 26
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Wild defenseman
Klara Hymlarova
Age: 26
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Czechia
Connection: Frost forward
Marcus Johansson
Age: 35
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Wild forward
Thea Johansson
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Minnesota Duluth forward
Ida Karlsson
Age: 21
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Minnesota Duluth defenseman
Zak Ketterson
Age: 28
Sport: Cross Country Skiing
Country: USA
Connection: Bloomington native
Denisa Krizova
Age: 31
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Czechia
Connection: Frost forward
Emilia Kyrkko
Age: 21
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Finland
Connection: St. Cloud State goaltender
Jackson LaCombe
Age: 25
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Eden Prairie native
Nelli Laitinen
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Finland
Connection: Gophers defenseman
Conor McDermott-Mostowy
Age: 27
Sport: Speedskating
Country: USA
Connection: Macalester alumnus
Paula Moltzan
Age: 31
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Country: USA
Connection: Prior Lake native
Abbey Murphy
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Gophers forward
Greta Myers
Age: 21
Sport: Speedskating
Country: USA
Connection: Lino Lakes native
Natalie Mlynkova
Age: 24
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Czechia
Connection: Gophers forward
Jake Oettinger
Age: 27
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Lakeville native
Aidan Oldenburg
Age: 24
Sport: Curling (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Mapleton native
Kelly Pannek
Age: 30
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost defenseman, Plymouth native
Tabitha Peterson
Age: 36
Sport: Curling (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Eagan native
Tara Peterson
Age: 34
Sport: Curling (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Eagan native
Iris Pflum
Age: 22
Sport: Snowboarding
Country: USA
Connection: Minneapolis native
Tereza Plosova
Age: 19
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Czech Republic
Connection: Gophers forward
Ben Richardson
Age: 27
Sport: Curling (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Richfield resident
Rich Ruohonen
Age: 54
Sport: Curling (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: St. Paul native
Paul Schommer
Age: 33
Sport: Biathalon
Country: USA
Connection: St. Scholastica alumnus
Emma Soderberg
Age: 27
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Minnesota Duluth alumna
Lee Stecklein
Age: 31
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost defenseman, Roseville native
Nico Sturm
Age: 30
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Germany
Connection: Wild forward
Cory Thiesse
Age: 31
Sport: Curling (Mixed and Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Duluth native
Luc Violette
Age: 26
Sport: Curling (Men’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Eagan resident
Svenja Voigt
Age: 21
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Germany
Connection: St. Cloud State forward
Lindsey Vonn
Age: 41
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Country: USA
Connection: Burnsville native
Jesper Wallstedt
Age: 23
Sport: Hockey (Men’s)
Country: Sweden
Connection: Wild goaltender
Siiri Yrjola
Age: 21
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Finland
Connection: St. Cloud State forward
Laura Zimmermann
Age: 22
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: Switzerland
Connection: St. Cloud State forward
Grace Zumwinkle
Age: 26
Sport: Hockey (Women’s)
Country: USA
Connection: Frost forward, Excelsior native
United States skip Rich Ruohonen, a St. Paul native, delivers a stone against Canada during the World Men’s Curling Championship on April 7, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Related Articles
Curling: Duluth mixed-doubles team opens with a pair of victories
Women’s hockey: Team USA wins Olympics opener
An American skier is fighting to open up the last Winter Olympic sport off limits to women
US Olympic leaders in Milan set goals to be respectful guests and good team players
Olympic president declines to add pressure on LA Games chair Wasserman over Epstein files link
