US Winter Olympic Team Becomes Most Diverse Ever

When the U.S. Olympic team gathers in Milan Cortina this year, they'll make history as the most diverse American winter roster ever assembled. Eight or nine women competing for USA Bobsled and Skeleton will step onto the ice, and most will be women of color.

"We're really making history out here and it's not slowing down at all," said Mystique Ro, a skeleton athlete of Black and Korean descent who won last year's world championship. The shift represents real progress in sports long dominated by white athletes from traditional winter nations.

The numbers tell a powerful story. The 2018 Winter Games included 21 U.S. athletes of Black or Asian descent, about 8% of the total. The 2026 team is expected to surpass that milestone significantly.

Black women now lead America's medal hopes across multiple sports. Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor has earned five Olympic medals, making her the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Games history. Kaysha Love became the first Black woman to win a world championship in monobob.

Speedskater Erin Jackson returns after becoming the first Black woman to win individual Olympic winter gold in 2022. Hockey player Laila Edwards will make her own breakthrough as the first Black woman to wear the American sweater on the Olympic stage.

"Representation matters," Edwards said when the roster was unveiled. "I'm just trying to use it as something that motivates me to be the best role model and person I can be."

The transformation started with recruitment. Most national team members came from other sports, often track and field, where diversity thrives. Bobsled needs speed and power, making sprinters perfect candidates.

Vonetta Flowers pioneered this path, winning gold in 2002 as the first Black woman to medal in bobsled for the U.S. Her success inspired the current generation of champions.

Why This Inspires

Love's journey captures why this moment matters. Growing up, she only dreamed of summer sports because that's where she saw herself represented. She excelled in gymnastics and track, becoming a record-setting sprinter before discovering bobsled.

"Now I get to be that representation along with some of my other teammates who have worked so hard to be a part of this," Love said. "That change is inspiring."

Ro emphasizes the work ahead extends beyond Olympic moments. "It has to be every year because we compete every year," she said, pushing for consistent visibility throughout the competitive season.

Jamaican bobsledder Adanna Johnson, just 17 when she competed at last year's world championships, echoes the growing momentum. "The sport is growing. There are more opportunities."

Barriers remain, particularly around cost and accessibility, but the train has left the station on meaningful change in winter sports.