Every Winter Games, Utah claims a big share of Team USA, and the numbers are real: the state's training venues, universities and mountain towns draw athletes from everywhere. But most of those athletes are from somewhere else. This page is narrower. It lists the Winter Olympians with documented Utah County ties, the ones who grew up here, went to school here or live here, and it is refreshed after each Games on the way to Utah 2034.
The 2026 numbers, and how they are counted
At the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, the Utah Sports Commission counted 84 athletes with Utah ties, competing for Team USA and ten other nations, 36 of them in their first Olympics. In those counts an athlete has Utah ties if they are from the state, currently live and train here, or attend or attended a school here. Counts of Utah natives are far smaller; a BYU tally found 17.
By the governor's State of Sport Awards count, which includes the Paralympics, 106 Olympians and Paralympians with Utah ties won 26 medals, 10 of them gold. The University of Utah alone had 31 athletes on Team USA, more than any other American college.
Utah Valley's Winter Olympians
Noelle Pikus-Pace, skeleton. Born in Provo and raised in Orem, she went to Mountain View High School and Utah Valley State College, now Utah Valley University, where she was a track and field All-American who broke the school high jump record. She finished fourth in skeleton at the 2010 Games and won silver at the 2014 Games in Sochi. She now lives in Saratoga Springs.
Chris Fogt, bobsled. A graduate of American Fork High School and Utah Valley University, where he was a record-setting sprinter, Fogt is listed as being from Alpine by Team USA and from Highland by the Army, in which he is a lieutenant colonel. He competed in three Winter Games, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and won silver in the four-man bobsled at Sochi in 2014. He is now head coach of USA Bobsled, and the Army credits him with coaching the 2026 team to a gold, a silver and a bronze.
Caleb Furnell, bobsled. A sprinter at Utah Valley University from 2019 to 2024, Furnell was named to the 2026 Olympic team as one of three push athletes on a four-man sled piloted by Kris Horn. Originally from Lee's Summit, Missouri, he lives in Vineyard.
Kate Hansen, luge. Hansen was a BYU student when she raced luge for Team USA at the 2014 Games in Sochi.
The UVU pipeline
Utah Valley University calls Furnell its fourth Winter Olympian, and says all four are products of its track and field program who moved to bobsled or skeleton, sports where sprinting power at the start matters. Furnell, Pikus-Pace and Fogt are the three who competed for Team USA, and with Fogt now coaching the national bobsled team, UVU's connection to it runs through its own alumni.
What to watch toward 2034
- UVU's track program. It has produced every one of the school's Winter Olympians so far.
- The World Cup circuit in Utah. Utah's 2002 venues host international events each winter, where athletes race on Utah ice and snow.
- Peaks Ice Arena. Provo's rink is planned as an Olympic hockey venue in 2034.
- The 2030 Games in the French Alps. They are the last Winter Games before Utah's, and this roster will be refreshed after them.
Practical notes
- Check the definition. "Utah ties" includes athletes who only train here.
- Follow the federations. Team USA and USA Bobsled and Skeleton publish athlete profiles and results.
- See the venues. Peaks Ice Arena and the Utah Olympic Park are open to the public.
Related Guides
- The 2034 Winter Olympics: Every Venue
- Volunteering for 2034
- What 2034 Means for Utah Valley Housing, Traffic and Jobs
- Peaks Ice Arena
- Soldier Hollow
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Utah County's Winter Olympians?
How many Utah athletes competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
What does it mean for an Olympian to have Utah ties?
Why do so many UVU Olympians compete in bobsled and skeleton?
How often is this page updated?
Who is Noelle Pikus-Pace?
How many first-time Olympians with Utah ties competed in 2026?
Where can I follow Utah Valley's Olympians?
