108

Olympians

13

Athletes at 2026 Games

8

Disciplines at 2026

1914

Founded

Milano Cortina 2026

13 SSWSC Alumni at the 2026 Winter Games

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club announces 13 alumni athletes competing in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 6–22, 2026. Ten athletes compete for Team USA and three for their home country. Eight athletes are first-time Olympians, bringing the total number of Steamboat Olympians who trained with SSWSC to 108.

Freestyle Moguls

Jaelin Kauf — Team USA (2022 Silver)
Olivia Giaccio — Team USA
*Landon Wendler — Team USA
*Charlie Mickel — Team USA
*Avital Carroll — Austria

Freeski Halfpipe

*Riley Jacobs — Team USA

Snowboard

*Maddy Schaffrick — Team USA (Halfpipe)
Cody Winters — Team USA (SBX + Alpine)
Jarryd Hughes — Australia (2018 Silver)

Alpine

Ester Ledecka — Czechia (2018 x2 Gold)

Ski Jumping

*Annika Belshaw — Team USA
*Jason Colby — Team USA

Nordic Combined

*Niklas Malacinski — Team USA

* denotes first-time Olympian

“We are incredibly proud of the 13 Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes who have been selected to represent the United States in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. These women and men will compete in a remarkable eight different sport disciplines in Italy this February.”

— Dave Stewart, SSWSC Athletic Director

Milano Cortina · February 2026

2026 Olympians

Jaelin Kauf

Jaelin Kauf — Freestyle Moguls (Team USA)
Jaelin Kauf and her family moved to Steamboat to train with the Steamboat Springs Winter Club. Kauf’s parents were both pro mogul champions in the 1990s. Kauf skied with SSWSC through high school, earning bronze at the 2015 Junior World Championships. She is the reigning dual moguls World Champion and 2025 World Cup Crystal Globe winner in moguls, dual moguls, and overall. She earned silver in moguls at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

  • Hometown: Alta, Wyoming
  • Born: September 26, 1996
  • Years on US Ski Team: 11 (since 2016)

Olivia Giaccio

Olivia Giaccio — Freestyle Moguls (Team USA)
Olivia Giaccio moved to Steamboat Springs in 2015 to train with SSWSC until she was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 2017. She was the 2017 Junior World Champion in dual moguls and is the only female athlete to land a Cork 1080 in World Cup competition.

  • Hometown: Redding, Connecticut
  • Born: August 15, 2000
  • Years on US Ski Team: 9 (since 2017)

Landon Wendler

*Landon Wendler — Freestyle Moguls (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Landon Wendler grew up in Steamboat Springs, skiing and training with SSWSC until he was named to the U.S. Freestyle team in 2021. He represented the U.S. at the Junior World Championships in 2019 and has one World Cup podium, a 3rd in dual moguls in 2024.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Born: October 12, 2000
  • Years on US Ski Team: 4 (since 2021)

Charlie Mickel

*Charlie Mickel — Freestyle Moguls (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Charlie Mickel is a moguls skier who trained with SSWSC during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 seasons. He said: “Although just a portion of my development played out in Steamboat, the time I spent in Steamboat certainly played an important role in my development as an athlete.”

  • Hometown: Durango, Colorado
  • Born: July 6, 2004
  • Years on Team: 4 (since 2023)

*Avital Carroll — Freestyle Moguls (Austria) — First-Time Olympian
Avital Carroll moved to Steamboat Springs in 2010 to attend Steamboat Mountain School and train with SSWSC for seven years. She won silver at the 2015 Junior World Mogul Championships and competed at the 2016 Junior World Championships. In 2022, Carroll switched to Austrian citizenship. At the 2023 World Championships she won bronze medals in both Single Moguls and Dual Moguls.

  • Hometown: New York City
  • Born: April 24, 1996

Riley Jacobs

*Riley Jacobs — Freeski Halfpipe (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Jacobs grew up skiing in SSWSC and has had her sights on the 2026 Olympics since the last winter games in 2022. Since joining the U.S. Freeski Team, she has had nine top-10 finishes on the World Cup circuit. Sidelined with an ACL injury in November 2024, she returned to competition this year with two World Cup top-10 finishes. In the summer, Jacobs loves to return and help coach SSWSC athletes at the trampolines and water ramps.

  • Hometown: Oak Creek, Colorado
  • Born: August 14, 2003
  • Years on US Ski Team: 5 (since 2021)

Maddy Schaffrick

*Maddy Schaffrick — Snowboard Halfpipe (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Madeline “Maddy” Schaffrick was born in Steamboat Springs. Her journey with SSWSC started as a Little Toots skier at age 3. As a teenager she earned a spot on the U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe team at 14. At 20 she transitioned to coaching with SSWSC for six years, including two years as Director of the Snowboard Program. In her comeback season, she was named to the U.S. Snowboard Team in 2025 and has had four World Cup podiums since her return.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Born: April 29, 1994
  • Years on US Snowboard Team: 1 (since 2025)

Cody Winters

Cody Winters — Snowboardcross + Alpine Snowboard (Team USA)
Cody Winters grew up snowboarding with SSWSC. He will represent the U.S. in both snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom. His first Olympic berth was in 2022 in the parallel giant slalom. His 2024–2025 season marked a breakthrough — he claimed his first World Cup podiums in both parallel slalom and snowboard cross, making him the only American to podium in two snowboard disciplines that year.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Years on US Snowboard Team: 4 (since 2022)

Jarryd Hughes — Snowboard Cross (Australia) — 2018 Silver Medalist
Jarryd Hughes (born May 21, 1995) is an Australian snowboarder who achieved silver in boardercross at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He trained with SSWSC during his time in Steamboat Springs.

Annika Belshaw

*Annika Belshaw — Ski Jumping (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Annika Belshaw was born in Steamboat Springs and grew up ski jumping at SSWSC at historic Howelsen Hill, jumping for 12 years before being named to the U.S. National Ski Jumping team in 2019. She is an eight-time National Champion, named to three World Championship teams and five Junior World Championship teams, and represented the U.S. in the 2020 Youth Olympic Games.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Born: June 13, 2002
  • Years on US Ski Jumping Team: 3 (since 2019)

Jason Colby

*Jason Colby — Ski Jumping (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Jason Colby was born in Steamboat Springs and grew up ski jumping at SSWSC and Howelsen Hill for 12 years. He comes from a multi-generational ski jumping family — his uncle Casey Colby was an Olympic ski jumper. Jason was the 2025 National Ski Jumping Champion, holds the hill record at Howelsen Hill on the HS100 at 105.5 meters, and this year has recorded the best American male results in ski jumping on the World Cup circuit in more than two decades.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Born: March 30, 2006
  • Club: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

Niklas Malacinski

*Niklas Malacinski — Nordic Combined (Team USA) — First-Time Olympian
Niklas Malacinski was born in Steamboat Springs and grew up in SSWSC programs until graduating from high school in 2022. He was named to the U.S. Nordic Combined Team in 2024. Malacinski competed at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games (5th place), was a four-time medalist at the 2023 World University Games, and was the 2024 U.S. National Champion in Nordic Combined.

  • Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  • Born: December 2, 2003
  • Years on Nordic Combined USA Team: 1 (since 2024)

Beijing 2022

2022 Olympics Recap

Watch the 2022 Olympian Celebration, focused on the parents of Steamboat’s Olympians, held at Howelsen Hill.

Decker Dean

Decker Dean — Ski Jumping

As the youngest member of the U.S. Ski Jumping team at Beijing, Decker gained valuable experience competing in the normal and large hill individual events and the team event, where he was the top scorer for the United States.

Taylor Fletcher

Taylor Fletcher — Nordic Combined

In his fourth and likely final Olympic Winter Games, Taylor led the U.S. team into 6th place by skiing the fastest cross-country leg in the race. “I would like to thank my family, coaches, USA Nordic, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the town of Steamboat. The support I’ve gotten the last couple of weeks has been huge.”

Jasper Good

Jasper Good — Nordic Combined

In his second Olympics, Jasper competed in the large hill event (34th) and was a member of the 4-person team that earned 6th place in the team event. “I think that next time, we are trying to take another step and be fighting with those lead groups and contend for a medal.”

Mick Dierdorff

Mick Dierdorff — Snowboardcross

After winning his first round which included eventual gold medalist Alessandro Haemmerle, Mick was knocked out of the quarterfinal and finished 15th. The sport of snowboardcross is unpredictable with riding skill, tactics, and luck all playing a part in the final result.

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold — Snowboard Halfpipe

In one of the most exciting events of the Games, Taylor proved himself a world contender with a creative set of tricks only he was executing. After leading after round one, he ultimately finished 5th — a strong performance after a long injury recovery that kept him from the 2018 Games.

Robby Burns

Robby Burns — Snowboard Racing

Robby soaked in valuable experience in the snowboard parallel giant slalom at Secret Garden. The opportunity to represent the U.S. and participate with SSWSC Coach Thedo Remmelink and teammate Cody Winters was super rewarding.

Cody Winters

Cody Winters — Snowboard Racing

As one of the youngest competitors in the field at 21, the 2022 Games served as a great learning experience that stoked his fire to finish his best season with a goal to crack the top 10 of the World Cup parallel slalom standings.

Olivia Giaccio

Olivia Giaccio — Freestyle Moguls

In her first Olympics, Olivia skied solidly through each round to earn a spot in the final round of six and a chance for a medal. She finished a very respectable 6th place in moguls.

Jaelin Kauf

Jaelin Kauf — Freestyle Moguls · 🥈 Silver Medal

Coming in with experience from PyeongChang, Jaelin saved her best for last — skiing all out to the silver medal in moguls. She was the fastest down the course and was featured on the TODAY Show on NBC. Just the second medalist of the Games for the USA and first for skiing or snowboarding.

Belle Brockhoff

Belle Brockhoff — Snowboardcross (Australia)

In her third Olympic Winter Games, Belle used veteran savvy to reach the big final. Finishing in 4th place in women’s snowboardcross, she just missed the podium after some trouble in the start section.

Jarryd Hughes

Jarryd Hughes — Snowboardcross (Australia)

Coming back from an ankle injury sustained in fall training, for Jarryd to even compete in the 2022 Games was a victory. He fought hard but was knocked out in the first round, finishing 29th.

Vic Wild

Vic Wild — Snowboard (Russia) · 🥉 Bronze Medal

Really one of the great stories of the 2022 Games — in his final Olympics, Vic rode the race of his life to earn bronze in parallel giant slalom. After being close to retiring in 2012 and winning double gold in 2014, the bronze was a surprise medal and fitting finish to a great career story.

Ester Ledecka

Ester Ledecka — Alpine + Snowboard (Czech Republic) · 🥇 Gold Medal

Ester was dominant in snowboard parallel giant slalom, defending her Olympic title from 2018 by a wide margin. She also competed in three alpine skiing events, narrowly missing the podium in Alpine Combined (4th) and Super G (5th). She remains a legend of the Olympic Winter Games.

←Strategic Plan