"It's just about showtime for the thousands of athletes who qualified for the Winter Olympics next month in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The XXV Winter Olympiad runs from Feb. 6-22 and will include Northern California stars such as Oakland figure skater Alysa Liu and the youngest member of Team USA's ski/snowboard roster, 15-year-old Abby Winterberger of Truckee, who competes in freestyle halfpipe skiing. In all, eight Northern California athletes will represent the United States, including three from the Bay Area."
"Bryce Bennett, Alpine Skiing, Truckee What to know: This will be his third Olympic Games. Took 16th in the downhill and 17th in the Super Combined at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 and 19th in the downhill and 17th in the Super G at the Beijing Games in 2022. Keely Cashman, Alpine Skiing, Strawberry (Tuolumne County) What to know: Population of her hometown is 86."
"Amelia Josephine (AJ) Hurt, Alpine Skiing, Carnelian Bay What to know: Competing in her second consecutive Olympic Games. Finished 13th in the Giant Slalom at the World Championships in 2025. Became hooked on skiing because her dad was a ski patrol at Palisades Tahoe. Alysa Liu, Figure Skating, Oakland What to know: Gold medal favorite. Retired in 2022 but returned to finish first at the World Championships in 2025."
The 2026 Winter Olympics run Feb. 6–22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Eight athletes from Northern California qualified to represent the United States, including three from the Bay Area. Alysa Liu of Oakland is a gold-medal favorite after retiring in 2022 and returning to win the World Championships in 2025. Fifteen-year-old Abby Winterberger of Truckee will compete in freestyle halfpipe skiing. Bryce Bennett of Truckee is making his third Olympic appearance after top-20 finishes in Pyeongchang and Beijing. Keely Cashman, from Strawberry (population 86), was on the 2022 Olympic team and works as a barista. AJ Hurt is making her second consecutive Olympic appearance. Nina O'Brien specializes in Giant Slalom and Slalom and was part of a World Championships team that won gold in 2023. Anthony Ponomarenko of San Jose competes in ice dancing with Christina Carreira and is the son of former Soviet ice dancing stars Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko.
#2026-winter-olympics #northern-california-athletes #figure-skating #alpine-skiing #freestyle-halfpipe
Read at The Mercury News
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