As the world turns its attention to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, New Jersey is once again proving that elite athletic talent thrives far beyond traditional winter sports hotbeds. From international hockey dominance to first-time Olympic appearances in figure skating, skeleton, and snowboarding, athletes with deep Garden State roots are shaping the early narrative of the Games and carrying New Jersey pride onto one of the world’s largest sporting stages.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, New Jersey is well-represented by several elite athletes competing for both Team USA and other nations. The games, running from February 6–22, have already seen significant action from Garden State natives.
Early Olympic Highlights
- Sarah Fillier (Ice Hockey, Team Canada): A Princeton University alumna, Fillier scored a power-play goal and recorded an assist in Canada’s opening 4-0 shutout victory against Switzerland on February 7.
- Alex Carpenter (Ice Hockey, Team USA): The Morristown native has already scored in both of Team USA’s opening games—a 5-1 win over Czechia and a 5-0 shutout of Finland.
New Jersey Athletes to Watch
Beyond the early hockey success, several other NJ locals are scheduled to compete or have begun their events:
| Athlete | Sport | Hometown | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isabeau Levito | Figure Skating | Mount Laurel | Making her Olympic debut in Women’s Singles. |
| Kelly Curtis | Skeleton | Princeton | Representing Team USA in her first Olympic Games. |
| Jess Perlmutter | Snowboarding | Millburn | Competing in Slopestyle and Big Air; she is one of the youngest on Team USA. |
| Brianna Schnorrbusch | Snowboarding | Monroe Twp | Competing in Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air. |
| Kelsey O’Driscoll | Para Alpine Skiing | Caldwell | Scheduled for the Paralympics; she is a registered nurse and ski patroller. |
| Josh Pauls | Sled Hockey | Green Brook | The “Spuds” veteran and 4-time Paralympic gold medalist returns for his 5th games. |
| Jack Wallace | Sled Hockey | Franklin Lakes | Two-time Paralympic gold medalist competing in his 3rd Games. |
The 2026 Winter Games, running from February 6 through February 22, have already delivered meaningful moments for New Jersey-connected athletes competing for both the United States and international teams. For a state better known nationally for its professional sports franchises and collegiate rivalries, the growing presence of New Jersey athletes in global winter competition reflects years of investment in youth programs, private training centers, and community-based development.
One of the most immediate impacts has come on the ice.
Princeton University alumna Sarah Fillier, skating for Team Canada, opened her Olympic campaign in commanding fashion. In Canada’s opening game against Switzerland, Fillier delivered a power-play goal and added an assist in a decisive 4–0 shutout on February 7. Her performance reinforced her reputation as one of the most complete forwards in international women’s hockey and underscored the strength of New Jersey’s connection to the collegiate hockey pipeline.
On the opposite bench, Morristown native Alex Carpenter has been equally electric for Team USA. Carpenter found the net in both of the Americans’ opening contests, first in a 5–1 victory over Czechia and then again in a dominant 5–0 shutout against Finland. Her ability to generate offense in transition and capitalize in tight scoring areas has immediately positioned her as one of Team USA’s most dangerous forwards during the tournament’s opening stretch.
For New Jersey fans, the significance of those early goals goes well beyond box scores. Carpenter’s continued presence as a national team leader and Fillier’s rapid rise through collegiate and international ranks reflect how New Jersey athletes increasingly occupy central roles on the world’s most competitive rosters.
Beyond the spotlight of Olympic hockey, a new generation of New Jersey athletes is preparing to make its own mark across multiple disciplines.
Mount Laurel’s Isabeau Levito enters the Olympic stage as one of the most closely followed American figure skaters in women’s singles. Making her Olympic debut, Levito represents a new era of U.S. skating built on technical consistency and artistic maturity. Trained through years of national and international competition, her presence in Milano Cortina signals both personal achievement and the growing reach of elite figure skating programs within New Jersey and the surrounding region.
In a very different corner of winter sport, Princeton native Kelly Curtis is set to make her Olympic debut in skeleton for Team USA. Competing in one of the most physically and mentally demanding disciplines of the Games, Curtis brings a unique background rooted in academic excellence and high-performance training. Skeleton remains one of the least familiar sports for many American audiences, yet it requires extraordinary start speed, fearless course navigation, and razor-sharp technical control. Curtis’ Olympic qualification reflects years of international circuit competition and a steady climb through the sport’s highly selective development pathway.
Snowboarding, meanwhile, continues to be one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing Olympic pipelines.
Millburn’s Jess Perlmutter enters the Games as one of the youngest members of Team USA’s snowboard contingent. Competing in both slopestyle and big air, Perlmutter is part of a generation that grew up training on advanced indoor and regional facilities before breaking onto the global contest circuit at an early age. Her Olympic debut represents a milestone for New Jersey’s youth snow sports culture, particularly in communities that have expanded access to freestyle training and year-round coaching.
Joining her on the snowboarding side is Brianna Schnorrbusch of Monroe Township, who is also scheduled to compete in slopestyle and big air. Schnorrbusch’s Olympic journey has been defined by progressive technical development and resilience across multiple competitive seasons. With both riders representing New Jersey in the same disciplines, the state will have a visible presence during some of the most dynamic and youth-driven events of the Games.
New Jersey’s reach at Milano Cortina extends beyond the Olympic program itself.
Caldwell native Kelsey O’Driscoll is preparing to compete in para alpine skiing at the upcoming Paralympic Games. A registered nurse and ski patroller, O’Driscoll’s path to elite competition blends professional service with high-performance sport. Her dual career highlights one of the most inspiring elements of the Paralympic movement: athletes balancing demanding professional lives while training at the highest levels of international competition.
The state’s long-standing legacy in sled hockey also continues on the global stage.
Green Brook’s Josh Pauls, widely known as “Spuds” throughout the sport, returns for his fifth Paralympic Games as a cornerstone of the U.S. sled hockey program. Already a four-time Paralympic gold medalist, Pauls brings leadership, tactical intelligence, and championship experience to a roster that continues to define international excellence in the sport.
Franklin Lakes native Jack Wallace joins him once again, competing in his third Paralympic Games as a two-time gold medalist. Together, Pauls and Wallace represent the continuity of New Jersey’s influence within U.S. sled hockey and serve as role models for adaptive athletes across the region.
What makes New Jersey’s presence at the 2026 Winter Games particularly compelling is its diversity across disciplines and pathways. These athletes did not emerge from a single centralized system. Instead, they reflect a statewide ecosystem that includes youth clubs, private coaching networks, collegiate programs, regional training centers, and adaptive sports organizations working in parallel to support athletes with vastly different needs and goals.
From the structured development model of collegiate hockey to the decentralized, athlete-driven culture of snowboarding and freestyle training, New Jersey’s Olympic and Paralympic representatives showcase how modern athlete development now flourishes far beyond traditional winter sport regions.
Their success also mirrors the broader growth of high-performance culture across the state, where sports science, nutrition, mental performance coaching, and community-based support systems increasingly intersect. For families and young athletes watching these Games, Milano Cortina provides more than inspiration—it offers proof that international success can begin in local rinks, regional hills, and community programs throughout the Garden State.
Readers interested in following how New Jersey continues to shape elite competition at every level can explore ongoing coverage of the state’s evolving athletic landscape through Explore New Jersey’s dedicated sports reporting, which highlights both emerging talent and established professionals across disciplines.
As competition continues through the heart of the 2026 Winter Olympics, New Jersey athletes remain firmly in the mix—not simply as participants, but as contributors, leaders, and medal contenders. Whether it is Alex Carpenter driving Team USA’s offense, Sarah Fillier anchoring Canada’s attack, Isabeau Levito stepping onto Olympic ice for the first time, or veteran champions like Josh Pauls and Jack Wallace once again chasing gold, the Garden State’s imprint on Milano Cortina is unmistakable.
For a state that has long balanced professional sports identity with grassroots athletic culture, the 2026 Winter Games stand as a powerful reminder that New Jersey’s reach now extends across the full spectrum of global competition—on ice, snow, track, and course—at the very highest level.
