Jan 26 (Reuters) - A group of 98 veteran Olympians such as Mikaela Shiffrin will anchor the U.S. team in Milano Cortina, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said on Monday, as it prepares to send 232 athletes to the Winter Games that kick off next month.
It will be the largest U.S. Winter Olympic team, after 228 athletes competed for the United States in Pyeongchang at the 2018 Games. The roster includes 115 women and 117 men.
"We have a lot of confidence in the 2026 team because our winter sport
programmes have made significant progress over the quad. We made an intentional effort to focus on winter sports," Rocky Harris, the USOPC Chief of Sport & Athlete Services, told reporters on Monday.
Harris said the United States have poured "significant resources" into winter sport, including coaching, athlete stipends and technology.
While the large and well-funded United States have regularly dominated the Summer Olympic medal table, they have only topped the standings at the Winter Olympics once, in 1932. They finished third on the medal table in Beijing.
Canadian-born monobob champion Kaillie Humphries, who switched allegiances to the U.S. ahead of the 2022 Games, is the most decorated with three golds, while alpine skier Shiffrin and snowboarding sensation Chloe Kim each have two.
Bobsleigh athlete Elana Meyers Taylor has the largest overall medal haul with three silvers and two bronzes earned across four previous Olympic appearances.
She will be joined by six other four-time Olympians, including Humphries, figure skater Evan Bates, snowboarders Nick Baumgartner and Faye Thelen, ice hockey athlete Hilary Knight and alpine skier Lindsey Vonn.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkEditing by Christian Radnedge)
