At the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA will compete with 232 athletes, including 115 women, placing the United States among the most gender-balanced delegations of the Games. Women are expected not only to represent nearly half of the roster but also to deliver a major share of the American medal count, particularly in snowboard, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, and ice hockey.
Based on recent World Championships, World Cup standings, and Olympic historical performance, U.S. women could realistically target 12 to 20 medals, potentially accounting for a decisive portion of Team USA’s overall Olympic success.
Snowboard and freestyle skiing: traditional U.S. dominance
Snowboard and freestyle skiing remain the strongest medal sectors for American women, offering multiple medal opportunities across disciplines.
Top contenders
- Chloe Kim – snowboard halfpipe favorite
- Maddie Mastro – snowboard halfpipe podium contender
- Jamie Anderson – snowboard slopestyle Olympic champion
- Hailey Langland – snowboard slopestyle / big air medal hopeful
- Eileen Gu – freestyle skiing (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air) global star
- Hanna Faulhaber – freestyle halfpipe rising contender
These disciplines historically produce several medals for the United States at each Winter Games.
Alpine skiing: depth across technical and speed events
American women continue to rank among the global elite in alpine skiing, particularly in slalom, giant slalom, and combined events.
Top contenders
- Mikaela Shiffrin – multiple Olympic champion and all-time World Cup record holder
- Paula Moltzan – slalom / giant slalom podium contender
- Nina O’Brien – giant slalom specialist
- Lauren Macuga – speed events rising talent
- Breezy Johnson – downhill contender
With several athletes capable of reaching the podium, alpine skiing remains a major medal opportunity for Team USA women.
Cross-country skiing and Nordic disciplines
American women have made significant breakthroughs in Nordic skiing over the past decade, establishing the United States as a consistent podium contender.
Top contenders
- Jessie Diggins – Olympic champion and multi-distance medal favorite
- Rosie Brennan – distance race contender
- Julia Kern – sprint specialist capable of surprise podium finishes
Figure skating: strong medal potential
Figure skating continues to be one of the most visible Olympic sports for Team USA, with women contributing to both individual and team medal opportunities.
Top contenders
- Isabeau Levito – women’s singles medal contender
- Amber Glenn – international podium challenger
- Madison Chock (ice dance) – gold-medal contender in ice dance with Evan Bates, also crucial in the team event
Women’s ice hockey: perennial gold-medal contender
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team consistently enters the Olympic tournament among the top two global contenders.
Key leaders
- Hilary Knight – captain and veteran Olympic champion
- Kendall Coyne Schofield – offensive leader and Olympic medalist
- Alex Carpenter – elite international scorer
Team USA women’s hockey remains one of the country’s strongest gold-medal opportunities.
Medal projections for Team USA women
Combining medal opportunities across snowboard, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, and ice hockey, American women could realistically aim for:
- Snowboard & freestyle: 5–8 medals
- Alpine skiing: 2–4 medals
- Cross-country skiing: 1–3 medals
- Ice hockey: 1 medal potential
- Figure skating & team events: 2–3 medals
Total projected medals: approximately 12–20 medals for U.S. women alone.
Women at the center of Team USA’s Olympic success
The strength of American female athletes reflects long-term structural investment in youth training systems, collegiate sports programs, and elite Olympic pipelines. As a result, women are not only approaching parity in roster size but increasingly representing one of the most reliable sources of podium finishes for Team USA.
At the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, U.S. women are expected to play a decisive role in shaping the overall Olympic medal standings.