The U.S. Olympic freestyle skiing roster won’t fully be determined until January 2026, but four athletes already have clinched their spots on the team for Milan Cortina. Ultimately, the roster could include up to 32 athletes across all disciplines.
In freestyle skiing, athletes don’t qualify directly for the Winter Olympics. Instead, they earn quota spots for their countries, and it's up to each country to name athletes to its Olympic roster to fill those quota spots. U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s selection criteria has broken the selection process into two distinct phases.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, one athlete per event could clinch an Olympic spot by finishing in the top three of the 2026 FIS Base List. Four athletes met that criteria.
The rest of the spots will be filled over the course of the 2025-26 season, with designated selection events being used as the primary way that athletes earn nominations to the team. For more details on the selection process, check out our article on Olympic freestyle skiing qualification.
Meet the members of the 2026 U.S. Olympic freestyle ski team (so far) below.
Men’s Freeski Halfpipe
Alex Ferreira
With an elite combination of amplitude and technicality, Ferreira is one of the most exciting halfpipe skiers on the planet. The Colorado native earned medals at each of his first two Olympic appearances (silver in 2018, bronze in 2022) but still is chasing his first gold. After an undefeated 2023-24 season, Ferreira, who will be 31 during the next Olympics, remained a consistent podium presence last season.
Men’s Freeski Slopestyle/Big Air
Alex Hall
Hall is one of the most versatile athletes in the slopestyle and big air fields. He was once pioneering big rotations, such as when he became the first skier to land a 2160 in a contest. But Hall, who will be 27 at Milan Cortina, often eschews the “spin to win” mindset, instead favoring creativity. Look no further than the last Winter Olympics. His winning slopestyle run included a trick in which he seemingly defied physics by pulling back a double cork 1080 mid-air into a 900, and his best trick from the big air final featured his signature Buick grab that he himself invented.
Women’s Moguls/Dual Moguls
Jaelin Kauf
Kauf is coming off the best season of her career, winning World Cup overall titles for the first time in both moguls and dual moguls, and also winning her first world title (in dual moguls). The Milan Cortina Games will be her third Olympic appearance and come after she won a silver medal in moguls in 2022. Kauf, who will be 29 during the Games, will get to compete in a second event now that dual moguls has been added to the Olympic program.
Men’s Aerials
Quinn Dehlinger
Dehlinger, 23, is headed to his first Winter Olympics after back-to-back second-place finishes in men’s aerials at the last two world championships in 2023 and 2025. The Ohio native also could factor into the mixed team competition, in which the U.S is the defending Olympic champion, after helping the country win back-to-back world titles in that event.
How will the rest of the U.S. Olympic freestyle ski team be decided?
Selection events represent the primary way for athletes to make Team USA. Up to three riders per event will be named to the team based on their best individual results at one of these selection events. The remaining criteria is covered in our Olympic freestyle skiing qualification article.
Each discipline has its own set of selection events, listed below, during the 2025-26 World Cup season.
The full team will be finalized after the Olympic qualifying period concludes on Jan. 19, 2026.
Freeski Halfpipe
- Dec. 11-13, 2025: Secret Garden (CHN) World Cup
- Dec. 18-20, 2025: Copper (USA) World Cup
- Jan. 1-3, 2026: Calgary (CAN) World Cup
- Jan. 7-10, 2026: Aspen (USA) World Cup
Freeski Slopestyle/Big Air
- Nov. 21-22, 2025: Stubai (AUT) World Cup – Slopestyle
- Nov. 28-30, 2025: Secret Garden (CHN) World Cup – Big Air
- Dec. 11-13, 2025: Steamboat (USA) World Cup – Big Air
- Jan. 7-10, 2026: Aspen (USA) World Cup – Slopestyle
- Jan. 15-17, 2026: Laax (SUI) World Cup – Slopestyle
Aerials
- All individual FIS World Cup events in the 2025-26 season through Jan. 19, 2026
Moguls/Dual Moguls
- All individual FIS World Cup events in the 2025-26 season through Jan. 19, 2026
Ski Cross
- All individual FIS World Cup events in the 2025-26 season through Jan. 19, 2026
How does Olympic freestyle skiing qualifying work?
Learn more about the qualification process for Milan Cortina 2026, as well as the selection criteria for Team USA.