Meet the AAPI athletes who will be representing Team USA on the biggest winter sports stage.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner and Team USA is stacked with AAPI athletes that are ready to represent the growing impact of Asian Americans on one of the biggest sports stages in the world.
Alysa Liu is the youngest AAPI athlete competing on the team. At just 20 years old, Liu will return to the winter games with more record-setting jumps in women’s figure skating after announcing her retirement in 2022.
Also representing the U.S. in figure skating is Chinese American pair skater Ellie Kam, half Japanese figure skater Spencer Akira Howe, and Chinese-Taiwanese American Emily Chan. Kam will be entering her first Winter Olympics, and Howe will skate pairs with Chan who has been his partner for 4 years. Chan has been skating for over 14 years and has won multiple medals worldwide, bringing international experience to Team USA.
In short track speed skating, Brandon Kim, Eunice Lee, and Andrew Heo are representing AAPI excellence on ice. Lee was raised between the United States and South Korea and recently won a silver medal at the World Speed Skating Championships, while Stanford student, Kim, took the past year off in order to train for this year’s Olympics. This will be Heo’s second time competing for Team USA, building his resume of world championship success.
Next we have Taiwanese-born sled hockey player Jen Lee. He is a U.S. Army veteran who had his left leg amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident in 2009. Lee did not let his accident stop him as he became a three time Paralympic gold medalist in sled hockey. This year he will bring leadership to the team and continue decorating his career while representing the United States.
Madison Chock is getting ready to participate in her fourth Olympics as one of the country’s most talented ice dancers. She is known for her artistry and consistency on the ice and this year she will continue to prove exactly why she and her skate partner and husband, Evan Bates are one of the best ice dancing duos on the world stage.
And finally, Chloe Kim, two time Olympic gold medalist will be returning to the Winter Games. Just a few weeks ago she had suffered a shoulder injury while training in Switzerland, but has been officially cleared to hit the slopes at this year’s snowboarding competition.
Milano Cortina will be taking place from February 6th through the 22nd and these AAPI athletes are redefining visibility for our community on a global scale, highlighting the growing influence of Asian athletes in elite sports.
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