MILAN, Italy – The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are officially underway, running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22, and many of the Olympians have strong ties to Michigan.
The state’s cold and snow create perfect conditions for skiing, snowboarding, hockey, ice skating, and more -- making Michigan a prime breeding ground for winter athletes.
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Meet the Michiganders heading to Italy to compete on the world stage:
Hockey, Men’s Team
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings -- Waterford
Dylan Larkin, captain of the Detroit Red Wings and native of Waterford, brings extensive experience to Team USA at 29 years old.
He has represented the United States in major international tournaments, including the U18 World Championship and the 4 Nations Face-Off.
At 4-Nations, Larkin began the tournament in a defensive, checking role, but quickly moved up to play on the top scoring lines.
His selection to the Olympic team highlights his status as one of the nation’s top forwards and a respected leader both on and off the ice.
Connor Hellebuyck -- Commerce
Connor Hellebuyck is known for his elite and consistent play. A multiple-time Vezina Trophy winner, he earned the award in 2020, 2024, and 2025.
With a successful NHL career at the Winnipeg Jets and extensive international experience, Hellebuyck is a vital asset for Team USA.
Jack Hughes -- Canton
Jack Hughes moved to Michigan in high school to join the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth.
Known for his elite speed as a center, Hughes has extensive international experience from World Championships and U18/U20 tournaments.
Unlike his brothers Quinn and Luke, who played for the University of Michigan, Jack went straight from the development program to being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Quinn Hughes -- Canton
Defenseman Quinn Hughes moved to Michigan to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Plymouth.
Drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018, Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2024. After 7.5 seasons with Vancouver, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild in December 2025.
Hughes has earned international medals, including 2017 U18 gold, 2018 World Juniors bronze, and 2018 World Championship bronze.
He played college hockey at the University of Michigan from 2017 to 2019.
Zach Werenski -- Grosse Pointe Woods
Zach Werenski played youth hockey in Detroit before joining USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor.
He spent two seasons at the University of Michigan, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and NCAA First Team All-American honors.
Drafted eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, Werenski has played his entire NHL career with the team.
He debuted internationally at the 2019 IIHF World Championship and won gold with the U.S. in 2025. Werenski was also part of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off team.
Kyle Connor -- Shelby Township
Kyle Connor played youth hockey in Detroit before spending one season at the University of Michigan, where he earned National Rookie of the Year and First Team All-American honors.
The winger was selected in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. Known for his sportsmanship, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Award in 2022.
Connor has represented the U.S. internationally, playing at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championships and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
Hockey, Women’s Team
Kirsten Simms -- Plymouth
Kirsten Simms grew up in Plymouth, playing youth hockey with boys until eighth grade, when she joined the Little Caesars AAA girls hockey team.
She attends the University of Wisconsin, where she played a pivotal role in winning the 2025 national title.
Simms made her debut with the U.S. women’s hockey team the previous season, appearing in the Rivalry Series and the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships.
You can watch our full interview with Kirsten Simms here
Megan Keller -- Farmington Hills
Megan Keller began skating when she was 3 years old in Farmington Hills. She played college hockey at Boston College, becoming the school’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and points among defenders.
Keller debuted internationally at the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold, and has since played in nine world championships.
She made her Olympic debut with Team USA’s gold-winning team at PyeongChang 2018.
Keller plays for the Boston Fleet in the PWHL, joining as one of the league’s first signees in 2023.
You can watch our full interview with Megan Keller here
Hockey officials
Jake Davis -- Wyandotte
Jake Davis began officiating Downriver hockey games at age 13 alongside his father, who was also learning the game.
Davis is a full-time 11th-grade chemistry teacher at Lincoln Park High School, balancing his passion for hockey with his teaching career.
You can catch our full interview with Jake Davis here
Melissa Szkola -- St. Clair Shores
An Oakland University graduate, Szkola transitioned from figure skating to hockey by joining the club team.
While pursuing graduate studies at Wayne State University, she played in a recreational hockey league where she met her future husband, who is also a hockey referee.
Szkola also served as a hockey referee at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Figure Skating, Ice Dance
Evan Chock -- Ann Arbor
Evan Bates began skating at age 4 at the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club. He graduated from Huron High School in 2007 and earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan in 2013.
Evan Bates partnered with Madison Chock in 2011 after ending his previous partnership.
Since then, Chock and Bates have become a dominant force in ice dancing, capturing three world championships, three Four Continents titles, two Grand Prix Finals, and six national championships.
Madison Bates -- Novi
Madison Chock first skated at age 5 in California. At 12, she was introduced to ice dance.
Her coaches suggested training in Texas or Michigan; her parents chose Michigan, where she began skating at Novi Ice Arena and graduated from Novi High School.
In 2011, Chock partnered with Evan Bates. Since then, Chock and Bates have become elite competitors, capturing three world championships, three Four Continents titles, two Grand Prix Finals, and six national championships.
Christina Carreira -- St. Clair
Christina Carreira, originally from Canada, and partner Anthony Ponomarenko have represented the U.S. internationally for over 12 years. The pair placed fifth at the 2025 World Championships and are two-time Four Continents champions and three-time U.S. national medalists.
Carreira’s path to competing for the U.S. was challenging. After moving to Novi in 2013 to train, she waited seven years to gain U.S. citizenship. She received her green card in 2020 but had to maintain U.S. residency while training in Canada.
For four years, Carreira commuted five days a week from Saint Clair to London, Ontario, to train. In November 2025, she finally became a U.S. citizen.
Emila Zingas -- Grosse Pointe Farms
Emila Zingas trains at Novi Ice Arena with her partner Vadym Kolesnik, who is from Ukraine. Together, they work under coach Igor Shpilband.
The duo are the 2026 Four Continents champions, two-time Grand Prix medalists, five-time Challenger Series medalists, 2026 U.S. national silver medalists, and earned U.S. national pewter medals in 2023 and 2025.
Zingas graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 2020 and is currently studying neuroscience at Wayne State University.
You can watch our full interview with Emila Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik here
Figure Skating, Ice Dance Alternates:
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons -- Canton
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons from Maryland train at the Michigan Ice Dance Academy, where they recently moved to work with Olympic medalists Charlie White and Tanith Belbin.
Green and Parsons finished fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, missing a spot on the 2026 Olympic team.
They were named the top alternates, ready to step in if one of the top three pairs cannot compete.
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville -- Canton
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville from Washington D.C., train at the Michigan Ice Dance Academy in Canton under coaches Charlie White, Tanith White, and Greg Zuerlein.
In January, the pair finished fifth at the 2026 U.S. Championships.
Now in their fourth season together, the duo have been named second alternates for the 2026 Olympic team.
Figure Skating, Pairs:
Danny O’Shea -- Pontiac
Danny O’Shea won the 2016 U.S. national pairs title with Tarah Kayne before retiring in 2020. After a brief comeback in 2021, O’Shea worked in real estate and coaching.
In 2022, he teamed up with Ellie Kam. They won bronze at the 2023 U.S. Championships, claimed the 2024 national title, and earned silver at Skate America.
O’Shea, 35, is the oldest U.S. Olympic pairs skater since 1932 and the oldest Olympic debut figure skater worldwide since 1948.
Freestyle Skiing
Kaila Kuhn -- Boyne City
Kaila Kuhn began skiing at 18 months old. She competed in her first World Championships at 15 and represented the U.S. at the 2022 Olympics.
In the 2024-25 season, she moved from doubles to triples. Her efforts paid off with two gold medals at the 2025 World Championships, in both aerials and the aerials team event, making her the first aerial skier to win two golds at a single World Championships.
You can catch our full interview with Kaila Kuhn here
Winter Vinecki -- Gaylord
Winter Vinecki has earned multiple podium finishes in aerials skiing, along with appearances at the 2022 Olympics and World Championships.
She claimed her first World Cup podium in Moscow, Russia, in 2021 and added three more that same season.
Vinecki’s 2023-24 season was exceptional, featuring four podium finishes and a second-place ranking in the world standings.
Bobsleigh
Jasmine Jones -- Eastern Michigan graduate
Jasmine Jones grew up in Pennsylvania -- winning two state championships in the 4x100-meter relay in high school.
She competed in track and field at Eastern Michigan University. After being nominated for an All-American award by her strength coach, she was encouraged to try out for the U.S. bobsled team.
Five years later, Jones competed at the 2023 IBSF World Championships in the two-woman bobsled event. Three years later, she won her first IBSF World Cup race as the push athlete for three-time Olympic gold medalist Kaillie Armbruster Humphries.
Snowboard
Nick Baumgartner -- Iron River
Nick Baumgartner excelled in football, wrestling, and track before starting snowboarding at 15. He dropped out of Northern Michigan University after one semester to pursue snowboarding professionally.
Baumgartner won X Games snowboard cross gold in 2011 and made his Olympic debut in 2010.
After missing medals in four Olympics, he won gold in the mixed team snowboard cross event at the 2022 Beijing Games, becoming the oldest Olympic snowboard medalist.
You can watch our full interview with Nick Baumgartner here
Jake Vedder -- Pinckney
Jake Vedder began snowboarding at age 5 at Mt. Brighton. He won Youth Olympic gold in 2016, joined the U.S. Snowboard Cross Development Team, and claimed Junior World Championship gold in 2018.
Vedder has earned six individual World Cup podiums and competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing sixth -- the best U.S. result in men’s snowboard cross.
Biathlon
Deedra Irwin -- Michigan Tech graduate
Deedra Irwin grew up running competitively in Wisconsin and started skiing at 16. At Michigan Tech, she was a three-sport athlete, competing in two NCAA Nordic Skiing championships and representing Team USA at the 2015 U23 Worlds.
At the 2022 Beijing Games, she placed seventh in the Women’s 15km Individual, shooting 19 of 20, a historic best for U.S. biathlon.
Since then, she has been the top female U.S. biathlete and ranked in the top 40 of the 2024-25 IBU World Cup standings.
Cross-country skiing
Zak Ketterson -- Northern Michigan University graduate
Minneapolis native Zak Ketterson was a standout skier at Northern Michigan University from 2016 to 2021. During his collegiate career, he earned multiple All-American and All-Conference honors, secured regional victories, and was named the CCSA Skier of the Year.
He also received NMU’s Gildo Canale Outstanding Senior Award, recognizing his excellence in skiing and leadership.
Ketterson made his World Cup debut at the 2022 Tour de Ski.
Coaches:
Charlie White, Ice Dance -- Bloomfield Hills
Charlie White is a retired American ice dancer known for his partnership with Meryl Davis. They won the 2014 Olympic gold, the first for a U.S. ice dance team, and earned silver in 2010 and bronze in 2014’s team event.
They also won two World Championships, six U.S. national titles, and multiple Grand Prix Finals.
He teamed with Davis at 9, training under Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva, and Oleg Epstein at the Arctic Edge Arena in Canton.
After retiring in 2014, White became a coach, choreographer, and commentator. In 2022, he co-founded the Michigan Ice Dance Academy with his wife, Tanith Belbin White.
Madison Hubbell, Ice Dance -- Lansing
Madison Hubbell is a former ice dancer and Olympian. In 2011, she partnered with Zachary Donohue. They became one of the most successful teams in U.S. ice dance history.
Hubbell and Donohue competed at two Olympic Games, winning silver in the team event and bronze in ice dance at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
They were also three-time U.S. national champions and earned four world championship medals. After retiring from competition in 2022, Hubbell transitioned into coaching and choreography.
Josh Sciba, Assistant Coach -- Westland
Josh Sciba served as assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2023-24.
He previously assisted the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team in 2018-19 and 2019-20, helping secure gold at the 2020 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and a medal at the 2019 tournament.
For the past decade, Sciba has coached annually at USA Hockey Under-18 Girls Player Development Camps and participated in the 2017 and 2018 USA Hockey Women’s National Festivals.
Ellen Hughes, Player Development Consultant -- Plymouth
Ellen Hughes leads the growth of national team players both on and off the ice, mentoring players and coaches to enhance development throughout the program.
As a player, Hughes was part of the 1992 U.S. Women’s National Team that won silver at the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Her sons, Jack and Quin, are members of the U.S. Men’s Hockey Olympic team.
Carrie Aprik, Sports Dietitian -- Royal Oak
Carrie Aprik has served as the sports dietitian for the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2014.
Aprik consults for both the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team and U.S. Figure Skating and served as a Team USA dietitian at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
In addition, Aprik is the sports dietitian for the Detroit Pistons and Oakland University athletics.
John Vanbiesbrouck, Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Operations -- Detroit
John Vanbiesbrouck has overseen all international programs, including men’s, women’s, and sled hockey teams since joining USA Hockey in 2018.
He has been part of the management team for the U.S. Men’s National Team at six IIHF Men’s World Championships (2019, 2021-2025).
He also served as general manager for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
He was the general manager of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
Beyond the athletes and coaches already mentioned, several more competitors with Michigan ties will participate in the Olympics:
Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings -- Germany, Men’s Hockey
Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider has represented Germany in five IIHF World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2023.
He was named the tournament’s best defenseman in 2021 and earned media all-star honors in both 2021 and 2023.
During the 2023 silver-medal run, Seider tallied five points (one goal, four assists) and played in all 10 games. His performance earned him a spot on the media-voted All-Star team
You can watch our full interview with Moritz Seider here
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings -- Sweden, Men’s Hockey
Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond has represented Team Sweden at the last three World Championships.
In 2025, he scored 11 points in 10 games, playing a crucial role in Sweden’s bronze medal victory -- scoring a shorthanded goal in the 6-2 win over Denmark.
He was also one of 19 players who competed for Sweden at the 4 Nations tournament in 2025.
Eduards Tralmaks, Grand Rapids Griffins -- Latvia, Men’s Hockey
Eduards Tralmaks ranks among the Griffins’ top performers, tied for second in goals and sixth in points. In the AHL, he is tied for 10th in goals and 14th in plus-minus.
Tralmaks has represented Team Latvia at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships. At the 2025 tournament, he led Latvia in points and assists, while ranking second in goals over seven games.
Wojciech Stachowiak, Michigan State -- Germany, Men’s Hockey
Wojciech Stachowiak played for Michigan State from 2018 to 2020 and has been competing professionally in Germany’s top league, the DEL. =
He has represented Germany in the last three World Championships.
During his two seasons at Michigan State, Stachowiak scored four goals and totaled five points in 40 games.
Frederik Tiffels, Western Michigan -- Germany, Men’s Hockey
Frederik Tiffels played three seasons at Western Michigan from 2014 to 2017. He was a three-time NCHC All-Academic Team selection during his time at Western Michigan.
Frederik Tiffels also played for Team Germany at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Louis Boudon, Lake Superior State -- France, Men’s Hockey
Louis Boudon was captain of the LSSU hockey team during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons before going pro. He was a Hobey Baker Award nominee in both 2022 and 2023 and earned numerous honors during his college career.
Boudon has played for AHL teams Laval Rocket and Iowa Wild, as well as ECHL clubs Iowa Heartlanders and Atlanta Gladiators.
He also served as an assistant captain for France at the U18 and U20 levels.
Dustin Gazley, Novi -- Italy, Men’s Hockey
Dustin Gazley grew up playing hockey in Compuware AAA youth teams. He went on to play four seasons at Michigan State University from 2007 to 2011.
He has been part of the Italian national team since 2023 and holds dual Italian and American citizenship. Gazley has represented Italy internationally, earning bronze medals at the 2023 and 2024 IIHF World Championship Division I tournaments.
Lukas Kalble, Lake Superior State -- Germany, Men’s Hockey
Lukas Kaelble was the LSSU team captain during the 2020-21 season, leading the team to win the final WCHA Tournament championship and secure a spot in the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament.
Internationally, Kaelble has represented Team Germany 27 times at the senior level and played 51 games across various youth levels, including U16 through U20
Alex Petan, Michigan Tech -- Italy, Men’s Hockey
Alex Petan played 153 games for Michigan Tech from 2012 to 2016. He earned second-team All-American honors in 2015-16 and was recognized as the WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Scoring Champion, and All-WCHA First Team selection that same season.
Petan was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist and served as team captain during his senior year.
Now in his 10th professional season and ninth playing in Europe, Petan represented Italy at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF World Championships.
Allison Reed, Kalamazoo -- Lithuania, Ice Dance
After representing Georgia and Israel, Allison Reed now partners with Saulius Ambrulevičius to represent Lithuania.
They train in Canton under coaches Marina Zueva, Johnny Johns, Massimo Scali, and Oleg Epstein.
Previously, Reed skated with Otar Japaridze for Georgia and Vasili Rogov for Israel. She competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics with Japaridze.