New Hampshire’s snowy landscapes and rugged terrain have long been a training ground for winter athletes competing on the world stage. From celebrated athletes like Bode Miller to rising stars preparing for the Milan Cortina Games, New Hampshire’s Olympic contributions are shaping up to be legendary in 2026.
NH’s Olympic Training Grounds
As a state whose official sport is skiing, it’s no surprise that a few New Hampshire landmarks have played stage to some of the world’s best winter athletes. The Nansen Ski Jump was the foremost ski jump in the country for almost 50 years, hosting the first Olympic Trials in 1938, followed by four US Ski Jumping National Championships in the years later. The jump closed in 1988, but has since undergone extensive restoration and ongoing maintenance which allowed the 2013 Women’s Ski Jumping World Champion Sarah Hendrickson to successfully complete the first returning ski jump at the Big Nansen in March of 2017.
Waterville Valley is known as the birthplace of freestyle skiing after launching the country’s first freestyle instruction program in 1969. Since then, Waterville has hosted several world-class freestyle competitions, including the Freestyle National Championships and National Open Championships. In 2026, Waterville hosted the FIS World Cup moguls and dual moguls qualifiers—the last chance for skiers to earn spots at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Dartmouth’s Olympic Pipeline & UNH's Northern Passage Program
Fun Fact: New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College has sent more athletes to compete in the winter Olympics than any other Ivy League institution. In fact, a Dartmouth athlete has competed in every winter game since the first in 1924, earning medals in skiing, hockey, biathlon, and more—cementing Dartmouth’s reputation as a powerhouse for winter sports talent.
Coincidentally, athletes from UNH’s Northeast Passage Program—a non-profit allowing athletes with disabilities to work towards a college degree while competing on the Northeast Sled Hockey Team—have been a part of every U.S. Paralympic roster since 1998.
2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
New Hampshire’s Team USA Qualified Athletes
- Sean Doherty
Sport: Biathlon
Hometown: Center Conway, NH - Caroline Harvey
Sport: Ice Hockey
Hometown: Salem, NH
- Sam Morse
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Education: Dartmouth College - Mikaela Shiffrin
Sport: Alpine Skiing
NH Ties: Moved to Lyme, NH at age 8, Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College
New Hampshire's Team USA Olympic Hopefuls*
These athletes with New Hampshire ties are working towards joining Team USA to compete in the upcoming 2026 Milan Cortina Games!
- Seth Baylus
Sport: Aspiring U.S. Olympic Bobsledder
Hometown: Loudon, NH - AJ Hurt
Sport: Aspiring U.S. Olympic Alpine Skier
Education: Dartmouth College
Granite State Paralympic Athletes to Watch in 2026
Also battling the world stage for medals in adaptive winter sports are elite athletes from across the globe who have trained to compete in the Paralympic Games. Look out for these NH competitors on Team USA:
- David Eustace
Sport: Sled Hockey
Affiliation: Northeast Passage/UNH Sled Hockey Team Member - Griffin LaMarre
Sport: Sled Hockey
Affiliation: Northeast Passage/UNH Sled Hockey Team Member
Paralympic Team USA Hopefuls*
- Laurie Stephens
Sport: Para Alpine Skiing
Education: University of New Hampshire
Began Skiing at Loon Mountain at Age 12
*This list is not comprehensive and will be updated with changes and athlete qualifications.
New Hampshire's Olympian Legends of the Past
These Winter Olympic Medalists have earned their place in New Hampshire history.
- Taylor Chace
Achievement: Three-Time Paralympic Medalist in Sled Hockey
Hometown: Hampton Falls, NH - Caroline Harvey
Achievement: Silver Medalist in Women’s Ice Hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Hometown: Salem, NH - Hannah Kearney
Achievement: Two-Time Olympic Medalist in Freestyle Skiing (2010 and 2014)
Education: Dartmouth College - Bode Miller
Achievement: Six-time Olympic Medalist in Alpine Skiing, Most Recently at the 2014 Games
Hometown: Franconia, NH - Penny Pitou
Achievement: First American Skier to Win Olympic Medal in Downhill Skiing; also a Silver Medalist in Giant Slalom at the 1960 Games
Hometown: Center Harbor/Gilford, NH - Mikaela Shiffrin
Achievement: Three-Time Olympic Medalist in Alpine Skiing
Hometown: Lyme, NH | Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College - Tyler Walker
Achievement: Two-Time Paralympic Medalist in Sit-Skiing at the 2018 Games
Hometown: Franconia, NH - Andrew Weibrecht
Achievement: Two-Time Olympic Medalist in Alpine Skiing (2010 and 2014)
Education: Dartmouth College
