But the connection is even closer for at least fourteen members of the team who list a city in Colorado as their hometown.
The best known Coloradan competing is skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who's been highlighted in practically every commercial and promotional piece churned out by NBC. But there's a baker's dozen of other Coloradans to root for; learn more about them below:
Aaron Blunck
Sport: Freestyle Skiing
Event(s): Halfpipe
Height: 6-0
DOB: 4/12/1996
Birthplace: Englewood
Hometown: Crested Butte
High School: Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy
Team/Club: Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
Personal: Son of Lisa and Michael Blunck, has one brother, Nolan. Began skiing when he was eighteen months old and first competed in freestyle skiing at eight. Hobbies include skateboarding, biking, fishing, camping and snowboarding.
(Clockwise from upper left) Alex Ferreira, Chris Corning, Hagen Kearney, Hanna Faulhaber, Joanne Reid and Katie Uhlaender.
Sport: Freestyle Skiing
Event(s): Halfpipe
Height: 5-9
DOB: 8/14/1994
Birthplace: Aspen
Hometown: Aspen.
High School: Aspen High School
College: Westminster College
Team/Club: Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
Personal: Son of Marcelo, a former professional soccer player. She began skiing at three, skied moguls before switching to halfpipe. Enjoys trampolining, hiking, biking, running, traveling and woodworking.
Chris Corning
Sport: Snowboarding
Event(s): Slopestyle, Big Air
Height: 5-8
DOB: 9/7/1999
Birthplace: Silverthorne
Hometown: Arvada
Team/Club: Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club
Personal: Son of Brook and Laura Corning; started snowboarding at seven. Hobbies include dirt-biking and camping; hopes to go to culinary school.
Hagen Kearney
Sport: Snowboarding
Event(s): Snowboardcross
Height: 6-2
DOB: 11/6/1991
Birthplace: Buffalo, N.Y.
Hometown: Norwood
High School: Telluride Mountain School
Team/Club: International Snowboard Training Center
Personal: Son of Richard Kearney and has one brother, Harry. Started skateboarding before he began snowboarding at nine. Hobbies include skateboarding, playing guitar, riding motorcycles and mountain biking.
Hanna Faulhaber
Sport: Freestyle Skiing
Event(s): Halfpipe
DOB: 9/4/2004
Birthplace: Aspen
Hometown: Basalt
High School: Basalt High School
College: Team/Club: Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club
Personal: Been on skis since she was three and has been skiing Aspen Snowmass parks and pipes ever since. She was inspired to ski the halfpipe after growing up watching the X Games in her hometown.
Joanne Reid
Sport: Biathlon
Height: 5-5
Weight: 115 lbs.
DOB: 6/28/1992
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin
Hometown: Grand Junction
High School: Henry M. Gunn
College: University of Colorado at Boulder '13 - Applied Mathematics; '17 - MS Engineering
Team/Club: Colorado Biathlon Club, USBA
Coach(es): Armin Auchentaller
Personal: The Daughter of 1980 Olympic speedskating bronze medalist Beth (Heiden) Reid and the niece of Eric Heiden, a five-time Olympic gold medalist in speedskating. Hobbies are mountain biking, climbing, rollerblading, microbrewery touring, road tripping, "meeting amazing people," studying, learning new things, building things, breaking things. "If it ain't broke, I'll break it."
Katie Uhlaender
Sport: Skeleton
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 135 lbs.
DOB: 7/17/1984
Birthplace: Vail
Hometown: Breckenridge
College: Colorado Mountain College
Personal: Uhlaender loves to ski, snowboard and kite board and craves speed. She began competing in skeleton in 2004 and "loves the feeling of getting power off the start block." Uhlaender also enjoys photography, writing and film; her favorite book is The Fountainhead. She'd like to become a producer or writer so that she can combine her "writing and photographic skills in a creative way."
(Clockwise from upper left) Mariah Bell, Nick Shore, Nicole Hensley, River Radamus, Taylor Fletcher and Taylor Gold.
Sport: Figure Skating
Event(s): Women's Singles
Height: 5-3
DOB: 4/18/1996
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Hometown: Monument.
High School: Ralston Valley High School
Team/Club: Rocky Mountain Figure Skating Club
Coach(es): Rafael Arutunian, Adam Rippon, Vera Arutunian
Personal: The daughter of Andy and Kendra Bell, she has one sister, Morgan, who also competes in figure skating. She skating at three.
Mikaela Shiffrin
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Height: 5-7
DOB: 3/13/1995
Birthplace: Vail.
Hometown: Edwards
High School: Burke Mountain Academy (East Burke, Vermont)
Team/Club: Burke Mountain Academy
Coach(es): Eileen Shiffrin, Mike Day, Jeff Lackie
Personal: The daughter of Jeff and Eileen Shiffrin, she has one brother, Taylor, who skied for the University of Denver. Her father skied for Dartmouth and her mother, a ski racer, was her biggest inspiration. She began skiing down her family’s driveway at the age of two; growing up in Vail kicked off her love for skiing and racing.
Nick Shore
Position: Center
Sport: Ice Hockey
Height: 6-1
DOB: 9/26/1992
Birthplace: Denver
Hometown: Denver
College: University of Denver
Team/Club: EV Zug
Coach(es): Dan Tangnes
Personal: Has three brothers, two of whom play hockey professionally; he attended the University of Denver.
Nicole Hensley
Position: Goalie
Sport: Ice Hockey
Height: 5-6
DOB: 6/23/1994
Birthplace: Littleton
Hometown: Lakewood
High School: Green Mountain High School
College: Lindenwood University
Team/Club: Team Women’s Sports Foundation (PWHPA)
Personal: The daughter of Darren and Linda Hensley, she has one sister. She earned the Presidential NCAA Award, maintaining one of the highest GPAs among NCAA athletes, and volunteers at a local shelter fostering and walking dogs and cats. Other hobbies include fishing, rock-climbing, hiking, country music concerts, mini golf, indoor soccer and slow-pitch softball.
River Radamus
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Discipline(s): Alpine Skiing
Event(s): Super-G, slalom, giant slalom, parallel mixed team
Height: 6-0
DOB: 2/12/1998
Birthplace: Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Hometown: Edwards, Colo.
High School: TEAM Academy
Team/Club: Team/Club: Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
Personal: Son of Also and Sara Radamus.... Mother, Sara Radamus was a NCAA champion, decorated Pro Tour racer, and world class coach for decades.... Father, Aldo Radamus is the former US Ski Team coach, former Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Director, and was involved in every level of the sport.... Motivated by Ted Ligety.... Idol is Nikola Jokic.
Taylor Fletcher
Sport: Nordic Combined
Event(s): Team Large Hill, Normal Hill, Large Hill
Height: 6-0
DOB: 5/11/1990
Birthplace: Steamboat Springs
Hometown: Steamboat Springs
High School: Steamboat Springs High School
College: Westminster College
Team/Club: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC)
Personal:The son of Tim and Penny Fletcher, he has one older brother, Bryan, who is also a member of Team USA. He enrolled at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club at four. His hobbies include cycling and cooking.
Taylor Gold
Sport: Snowboarding
Event(s): Halfpipe
Height: 5-9
DOB: 1/17/1993
Birthplace: Steamboat Springs
Hometown: Steamboat Springs
College: University of Colorado
Team/Club: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Personal: Has a sister, Arielle, who is also a snowboarder. Hobbies include playing guitar, trampolining, slacklining and mountain biking.
