U.S. Para Nordic Skiing confirmed the 12 athletes who will compete in para and biathlon cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, which begin March 6.

At the 2022 Beijing Paralympics, the United States brought home more medals in the two Paralympic Nordic skiing disciplines — biathlon (6) and cross-country skiing (8) — than any other, including a historic first-ever gold medal in the mixed 4x2.5km cross-country relay. Ten of the athletes from the 2022 team will return to the Paralympic stage at the Milan Cortina Games.

During the 2025-26 World Cup season, American para Nordic skiers collected 51 medals, including 24 gold.

“We’re thrilled to announce the 12 para Nordic athletes named to the 2026 U.S. Paralympic Team that reflect the strength of our program,” U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing coach BethAnn Chamberlain said in a press release. “Every athlete named has earned this opportunity through consistent performance, commitment to improvement and a shared dedication to representing Team USA. They support one another, push one another, and compete as a harmonious team, and that culture has been a defining part of our success.”

Leading the pack is 19-time Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters, who in Beijing became the first American to clinch seven medals at a single Paralympics. Masters, 36, has competed at every Winter and Summer Paralympics since 2012, earning medals in four sports: para cross-country and para biathlon in the winter, and para cycling and para rowing in the summer.

Despite missing the entire 2024-25 season due to a bone infection in her leg, Masters enters the Paralympics as the world's top-ranked para cross-country skier and the world No. 2 in para biathlon in the sitting division. 

Seven-time Paralympic medalist Kendall Gretsch sits not far behind her, ranked 2nd globally in para cross-country skiing and 4th in para biathlon. Last season, the 33-year-old swept all three para biathlon events at 2025 Worlds, adding silver in all three individual para cross-country events as well. 

Sydney Peterson, 23, collected a medal of every color at her Paralympic debut in Beijing. She also skied to two world championship medals in 2025: silver in para biathlon and bronze in para cross-country.

Aaron Pike and Jake Adicoff will power the men's side.

Pike, who is Masters' finacé, will look for his first medal in his eighth Paralympic appearance. Since the Beijing Paralympics, he has won two individual world titles in para biathlon — 12.5km individual (sitting) in 2023 and 7.5km sprint (sitting) in 2025 — as well as a third in the mixed 4x2.5km relay in para cross-country skiing (2023).

After earning silver at the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics, Adicoff announced his retirement. Hungry for more, he returned to the sport three years later and collected three medals —  two individual silvers and one relay gold — in Beijing. Now, he enters Milan Cortina as the reigning world champion in the vision-impaired classification of the men’s 10km and 20km.

Para biathlon at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics begins Saturday, March 7, and runs through Friday, March 13. Para cross-country will take place between Tuesday, March 10, and Sunday, March 15. 

Below is the full U.S. para Nordic skiing roster.

Men

Jake Adicoff (Guides: Peter Wolter, Reid Goble) 
Jack Berry*
Dan Cnossen
Max Nelson (Guide: August “Gus” Schatzlein)
Aaron Pike
Josh Sweeney

Women

Dani Aravich
Kendall Gretsch
Sydney Peterson
Erin Martin
Oksana Masters
Nicole Zaino*

*denotes athletes making their Paralympic debuts