These Missourians will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics starting next week
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Missouri sends skiers, hockey players, bobsledders and Paralympians to Milan 2026.
- Vonn headlines roster after comeback, knee replacement and December 2024 win.
- Multiple St. Louis-area hockey stars and Blues alumni join U.S. and Canada teams.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are less than two weeks away and several Missourians will be making their way to Milan, Italy soon.
The ice-and-snow version of the Games starts with competition as soon as Thursday, Feb. 5, with the opening ceremonies taking place the next day.
Lee’s Summit High grad Caleb Furnell has the most apparent tie to Kansas City: He’s a member of the U.S. men’s bobsled team. Here are a few other athletes coming out of Missouri to watch in the upcoming Winter Olympics:
Lindsey Vonn, skiing
The face of American skiing will be competing in one final Olympics at one of her favorite venues.
The Saint Paul, Minnesota native earned her high school diploma online from the University of Missouri High School during her star-studded career. Vonn boasts three Olympic medals (one gold), four World Cup overall championships, 84 World Cup wins and two World Championship gold medals.
Considered one of the greatest skiers of all-time, Vonn, 41, was the first U.S. woman to win gold in the downhill.
The four-time Olympian is back in the Winter Games for the first time since 2018 (she retired the following year). Plagued by injuries throughout her career, Vonn made a comeback in December 2024 after a partial right-knee replacement.
Last month, she became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner ever.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, men’s hockey
The sons of an Olympian and National Hockey League Hall of Famer are two of the current faces of American hockey. They’re looking to continue paving the way for the legacy of their family and the nation.
The brothers grew up in Creve Coeur, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis. Their father, Keith Tkachuk, spent most of the latter part of his career with the St. Louis Blues. The Tkachuk boys went through the sixth through ninth grades at Chaminade College Preparatory School, where they were classmates of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
The brothers, captains for their respective teams, were thrust into the national hockey spotlight thanks to their performance, and fighting skills, for Team USA in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Together, they led the American squad to the all-star tournament’s final.
Both have also won gold medals with the U.S. under-18 team.
Older brother Matthew, 28, is one of the architects of the NHL’s current dynasties, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Florida Panthers. The left-winger was a finalist for league MVP in 2023 and scored the back-to-back-clinching goal this past season. He made his NHL-season debut on Jan. 21 after recovering from a lower body injury.
Younger brother Brady, 26, is a captain for the Ottawa Senators. He has scored more than 29 goals with 25 assists for the last four seasons.
Colton Parayko, men’s hockey
He’s a Canada native, but he is representing Missouri’s hockey team as a member of the St. Louis Blues.
A defenseman for the Blues, Parayko will make his Olympic debut with team Canada in Milan/Cortina 2026. He was a part of the Blues team that won the Stanley Cup in 2019.
The 32-year-old was selected in the third round, 86th overall, by St. Louis in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2015-16 season and was named to the All-Rookie Team.
Jordan Binnington, men’s hockey
Parayko won’t be traveling to Italy alone, as his Blues teammate will accompany him. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will suit up for team Canada, marking his Olympic debut.
Drafted with the 88th overall pick in the third round by the Blues in 2011, Binnington is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins and holds the league record for most wins by a rookie goaltender in a single postseason. He set that mark in 2019, the year the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
The 32-year-old has been an NHL All-Star twice and was a part of the Canadian 4 Nations squad that beat Team USA in overtime for the title.
Clayton Keller, men’s hockey
This Chesterfield native grew up skating with Matthew Tkachuk and other future NHL players in the St. Louis area.
The Utah Mammoth captain, a four-time NHL All-Star with the Arizona Coyotes, was snubbed from the 4 Nations roster but captained the U.S. team at the 2025 IIHF World Championships — where Team USA won its first gold medal at a stand-alone world championship since 1933. Keller collected three goals and seven assists in 10 games in the tourney.
Keller also spent one year at Boston University, where as a freshman he helped his team reach the Frozen Four.
Joy Dunne, women’s hockey
Dunne is another St. Louis-area native who comes from a hockey family. She’s also one of the rising stars in women’s hockey.
The O’Fallon native is one of six siblings who have played college hockey. She led her Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship as a freshman, scoring the game-winning goal and finishing as the team’s top scorer. She was conference and national rookie of the year two seasons ago.
The junior forward has garnered two medals, including one gold, with Team USA at the past two IIHF Women’s World Championships.
Noah Elliott, men’s para snowboarding
There was a time when St. Charles native Noah Elliott wanted to be a professional skateboarder. That changed at age 15, when lingering leg pain turned out to be cancer. Part of his left leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma.
Less than two years after meeting fellow osteosarcoma survivor and now-gold medal Olympian Brenna Huckaby, Elliott made his Paralympic debut at the Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang in 2018 and won two medals, including a gold in banked slalom.
Elliot is looking to return to the podium. He competed in the Paralympic Winter Games’ Beijing 2022 but did not earn a medal. The now three-time Paralympian also boasts nine World Championship medals, including three golds.
Caleb Furnell, men’s bobsled
This Lee’s Summit High grad was a track sprinter at Utah Valley State but quickly found a career in bobsled after graduation in 2024.
Furnell is the fourth Winter Olympian in Utah Valley. Each Olympian produced by the school was a product of the track and field program.
Furnell was also on the U.S. World Cup team last year. He is a push athlete on the four-man bobsled squad and has a chance to be on the two-man team, as well.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
