US Speedskating announced the eight skaters who will participate in the short track competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, one more than the team qualified for Beijing 2022.

Typically, the United States determines its Olympic squad based on performances both on the World Tour and at Olympic Trials. This season, however, the United States built its roster entirely based on World Tour results.

Leading the women’s squad are 2024-25 Crystal Globe champion Kristen Santos-Griswold and 2025 runner-up Corinne Stoddard.

Stoddard enters her second Olympics after a personal-best World Tour campaign where she collected eight individual medals (3 silver, 5 bronze) and finished the season ranked 2nd overall. This year marked the first time Stoddard skated to silver twice or more on the World Tour.

The 24-year-old skater also lifted the U.S. to one silver apiece in the women’s and mixed relays, as well as a bronze in the season’s final women’s relay, at the last two World Tour stops.

At the 2022 Beijing Games, Stoddard competed in all three individual events and two relays, with a best finish of 7th in the 1000m.

Though Santos-Griswold spent much of 2025 battling a series of health issues — including a stomach flu during the 2025 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships and a back injury that sidelined her during this year’s national championships — the 31-year-old skated to two individual bronze medals on the World Tour, aiding in the three medal-earning relay efforts as well.

Santos-Griswold has faced a string of unlucky circumstances on the Olympic level. A poorly-timed injury contributed to a 4th-place finish at the 2018 U.S. Olympic Trials, leaving Santos-Griswold one spot short of her first Olympic team. After making the Olympic squad ahead of Beijing, a faulty pass from Italy’s Arianna Fontana during the 1000m final knocked Santos-Griswold out of her first-place position and into another 4th-place finish.

Shortly after the 2022 Games, Santos-Griswold considered retiring from the sport and took a brief hiatus. Once she decided to continue competing, she became the second American after Apolo Anton Ohno to win a World Cup race at all three individual distances (2023-24 season), earn a medal in each of her five events at the 2024 World Championships, and skate to nine podium finishes on the 2024-25 World Tour en route to her first Crystal Globe trophy. 

Also landing their second Olympic berths are Andrew Heo, Julie Letai, and Eunice Lee.

Heo capped off his World Tour with his first-ever podium finish on the circuit, a gold in the 500m, becoming the first U.S. man to win a top-level individual race in 11 years. 

Though he benefitted from two skaters dropping out of contention during the race and another being disqualified, Heo still put forth his best effort of the season, outracing two-time reigning Crystal Globe champion William Dandjinou.

His previous-best finish in any World Tour race was 4th, and his previous best this season was 14th.

Despite battling a slew of injuries over the last two years that forced them both to sit out of the 2024-25 season, both Letai and Lee served crucial roles in the women’s relay on this year’s World Tour. They also contributed to the United States’ silver-earning effort in the event at the 2024 World Championships.

Competing in their first Olympic Games are Brandon Kim, Clayton DeClemente, and Kamryn Lute.

Kim, who ended the World Tour as the highest-ranked American man in 14th (just 10 points ahead of Heo, who is the world No. 15), makes his Olympic debut after costly slips in two separate finals at the 2022 Olympic Trials knocked him out of contention for the U.S. Olympic squad that year. 

The 24-year-old opened this season with a new national record in the 500m and national titles in all three sprints.

For the last two World Tour campaigns, DeClemente has been the highest-ranked American man in the 1000m, finishing in 21st place this year. This season, he also stands as the United States' highest-ranked skater in the men's 1500m (15th).

At 21-years-old, Lute is the youngest member of the U.S. short track squad. She first made the national team in 2022. 

The United States has not earned an Olympic medal in any event since John-Henry Krueger’s 1000m silver in 2018 — the country's only prize in PyeongChang. The U.S. women haven’t made an Olympic podium since 2010.

Short track at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics begins Feb. 10, 2026, with qualifying rounds in the women’s 500m and men’s 1000m, as well as the mixed team relay finals.