From frozen lakes and ski hills to the world’s biggest stage, Minnesotan athletes are taking over Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. 24 Minnesota natives are on Team USA, which ranks second only to Colorado. 37 athletes have ties to Minnesota, mainly through hockey.

Some of the most decorated American Olympic athletes in the world are native Minnesotans. Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, and hockey player Kelly Pannek, all athletes who have multiple Olympic medals, come from the Twin Cities.

Minnesota is especially well-represented on Team USA’s hockey teams. On the men’s side, three members of the Wild are playing for the US. The Wild’s GM, Bill Guerin, is also serving as GM for Team USA. Five native Minnesotans represent the US in hockey.

For the women’s team, six members of the Frost are playing in the 2026 Games. Also featured are two other players with connections to Minnesota. Five of these eight players are natives of Minnesota.

Minnesotan curlers are also heavily represented in the Winter Olympics, with six of the 11 members of the curling team being Minnesota natives, and the other five residing in Minnesota currently.

Furthermore, over 30 athletes with roots in Minnesota are competing outside of Team USA in the Olympics. An abundance of hockey players from Minnesota are representing countries such as Canada, Finland, Germany, and Sweden on the ice. 

Whether Minnesota is their native state or home to their post-secondary education, athletes who call Minnesota one of their homes are representing countries all over the world. The hometown pride spotlighted at the 2026 Olympic Games is a testament to the sports culture in Minnesota. Minnesota’s label as the “State of Hockey” and its freezing cold winters have proved its competitiveness in winter sports.