- More than 80 athletes with Utah ties will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- Utah's Olympic influence grows with 36 debut athletes and 18 medalists.
SALT LAKE CITY — When the world turns its attention to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Utah will be everywhere.
Team USA's final Olympic roster of 232 athletes was released Monday, and nearly one-third of the entire U.S. team has ties to Utah.
In all, 81 athletes with Utah ties will represent Team USA and eight other countries.
The numbers are proof of Utah's growing influence on the global Olympic stage. The Utah Sports Commission also said those numbers are no accident.
"Going back from before 2002, when we really didn't have many athletes here, to where we are now, it has been a remarkable evolution for the state," said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission.
Utah's Olympic momentum began with the 2002 Winter Games and has only accelerated since.
World-class venues, year-round training opportunities and national governing bodies like U.S. Ski and Snowboard, U.S. Speedskating, U.S. Biathlon and USA Climbing now call Utah home.
Robbins credits sustained investment from communities and the state itself.
"We deserve it," he said of Utah's Olympic and Paralympic success. "We've invested so much as a state, the citizens, the venues and the great partners here."
Among those heading to Italy is Park City freestyle mogul skier Nick Page, who will be competing in his second Olympic Games.
Page grew up training in Utah and said the state's Olympic legacy is something athletes here feel every day.
"You see this pool behind us? I have basically lived here since I started when I was 7 years old," said Page at the aerial training pool at Utah Olympic Park. "We're really so lucky to have this right at our fingertips."
Of the 81 athletes with Utah ties, 36 will be making their Olympic debut, while others bring years, and medals, of experience.
Four Olympic champions and 14 Olympic medalists on the roster have connections to Utah.
For Page, he's just as proud to be on Team Utah and he is Team USA.
"It's been like that for so many different athletes in Park City and in Utah," he said. "We're fortunate here."
