2026 Winter Olympics: Asian American athletes compete on world stage

Asian American athletes are currently taking part in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics representing Team USA as well as several other national delegations. The competitors are entered across snowboarding, figure skating and freestyle skiing as the Games run Feb. 6–22 in northern Italy.

Alysa Liu is competing in women’s figure skating after returning to elite competition following a two-year break. During the opening stages of competition, the 20-year-old athlete skated in the figure skating team event, contributing points in the women’s short program.

Team USA’s pairs lineup also includes Ellie Kam, who earned selection through U.S. Figure Skating. Kam was born on a U.S. military base in Japan to a Japanese mother and a father of Chinese and Hawaiian descent. She is joined by Spencer Akira Howe, a half-Japanese skater who previously represented Japan before changing federations and partnering with Emily Chan.

Snowboarding star Chloe Kim, who recently suffered a shoulder injury, is also competing for Team USA in women’s halfpipe. The 25-year-old is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who returned to competition following the Beijing Games. She is joined by Lily Dhawornvej, a 16-year-old Thai American who qualified for the Olympic team through results on the international circuit, including a silver medal at the Laax Open earlier this season.

Brandon Kim, a 24-year-old Stanford University student who took a year off from his studies to train, is making his Olympic debut in short track speed skating. Kim broke a nearly 13-year-old U.S. national record in the 500 meters at the U.S. Championships earlier this season, surpassing the mark previously held by J.R. Celski.

Asian American athletes will also compete under other national flags in Italy, including two of the most closely followed figures in the field. Eileen Gu, a San Francisco native, is competing for China for a second consecutive Olympics after switching her Olympic eligibility in 2019. Gu won two gold medals and one silver at the 2022 Winter Games and has remained active on the World Cup circuit since, making her one of the most prominent athletes in freestyle skiing.

Gu’s continued representation of China has renewed debate in the U.S., particularly because Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship. The 22-year-old star athlete has declined to discuss her citizenship status, telling the South China Morning Post it was “sad” when attention on her nationality overshadowed her performances and that her focus has “always been to promote my sport.” Olympic and international skiing officials have said her eligibility complies with competition rules.

Also competing for another nation is Tallulah Proulx, a 17-year-old Filipino American born in California and raised in Park City, Utah. Proulx qualified to represent the Philippines in giant slalom and slalom, becoming one of the youngest athletes in the alpine field. She previously competed for the Philippines at the 2025 Asian Winter Games, where she finished 16th in the slalom.