Palisades Tahoe will leave an imprint on the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games with connections to five skiers on the U.S. team.
Palisades Tahoe ski resort recognizes a group of local athletes from Team Palisades Tahoe and Olympic Valley Freestyle who have been named to U.S. teams scheduled to compete at the Winter Games.
Formerly Squaw Valley ski resort, Palisades Tahoe and Olympic Valley have long served as training grounds for elite winter sport athletes, with a history of progression spanning multiple generations. The 2026 Winter Games mark another milestone for the region’s enduring influence on the global winter sports stage.
“These athletes represent years of commitment, discipline and time spent training on Sierra Nevada terrain,” said Eric Garayoa, Palisades Tahoe director of teams. “While their paths and programs may differ, their success reflects the depth of talent and culture of competition rooted in the Tahoe region.”
Below is a look at the group of Olympic skiers with connections to Palisades Tahoe.
ALPINE SKIING
Bryce Bennett, Tahoe City: A veteran speed specialist, Bennett enters his third Winter Games appearance as one of the most experienced members of the alpine field.
At age 33, he has spent nearly half his life on the U.S. Ski Team, building a career defined by power, confidence, and longevity in downhill and super-G.
While Bennett holds multiple titles – Olympian, World Cup Winner and longtime U.S. Ski Team member – the role he takes the most pride in is one he added recently: father. In the spring of 2025, he and his wife, Kelley, welcomed their first child, a daughter.
AJ Hurt, Carnelian Bay: Now an eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, Hurt made her Olympic debut in 2022 and has two World Cup podiums.
Her Olympic journey began with what she describes as the ultimate “take your kid to work” experience. Growing up at Palisades Tahoe, she spent countless hours alongside her father, a longtime member of the Palisades Pro-Ski Patrol, whose career on the mountain spans longer than his daughter has been alive.
Some of her fondest childhood memories include accompanying her dad on end-of-day mountain sweeps, helping take down signage and ensuring the slopes were clear. Those early days on the mountain led to rapid progression, with Hurt racing her first World Cup at age 16.
She recently spent the offseason training at home in Palisades Tahoe and is coming off a breakthrough season, with a strong focus on mental preparation, an area she describes as non-linear but essential to high-level performance.
Keely Cashman, Strawberry: A 2022 Olympian and eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, Cashman returns to the Winter Games driven by a desire to continue challenging expectations in alpine skiing.
A technically focused racer specializing in Giant Slalom and Super Giant Slalom, she has built her career on a belief that elite performance is possible without following a traditional development path.
Growing up in Strawberry, which is located about 15-20 miles west of South Lake Tahoe, Cashman has been open about the financial barriers that often accompany ski racing.
With her father working as a coach to offset some of the costs, her family relied on creativity and perseverance to support her ambitions. Much of that support came from the Serene Bean, a local coffee shop her family has operated for 28 years and a cornerstone of the community where Cashman is well known as a hometown barista.
Nina O’Brien, Denver: She began skiing at Palisades Tahoe through the Mighty Mite program before starting her racing career with Team Palisades Tahoe.
Growing up in a family of ski racers helped shape her lifelong connection to the sport. O’Brien later attended Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, where her performance led to selection for the National Training Group. In 2016, she earned a spot on the U.S. Ski Team.
Since joining the U.S team, O’Brien has built an accomplished career that includes winning the NorAm overall title in 2019, earning eight national championship titles, and competing at the 2022 Winter Games.
She was also a member of the U.S. Team Event that won gold at the 2023 World Championships.
FREESKIING
Abby Winterberger, Truckee: At age 15, Winterberger is the youngest of 97 athletes on the U.S. team. She is already being called one of the rising stars of the sport.
Winterberger represents Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team and has qualified to compete in freeski halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Games.
Her nomination is notable as she qualified directly through international competition results while competing at the club level, bypassing traditional U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rookie and Pro Team pathways.
She enters her first Olympic Games following a standout 2025-26 season that includes being named U.S. National champion in freeski halfpipe and recording multiple top-10 finishes internationally.
Winterberger was also the top-placing U.S. woman at the final Olympic halfpipe qualification event of the season in Aspen, finishing sixth against a deep international field.
