{"id":113307,"date":"2026-01-26T22:25:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T22:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113307\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T22:25:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T22:25:29","slug":"milan-2026-meet-the-olympic-athletes-with-upstate-new-york-connections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113307\/","title":{"rendered":"Milan 2026: Meet the Olympic athletes with Upstate New York connections"},"content":{"rendered":"

The road to Milan began in places like Poughkeepsie living rooms, Rochester backyards and Lake Placid sliding tracks. This winter, athletes with roots across Upstate New York will carry those hometown beginnings to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n

Here are over a dozen athletes with ties to Upstate New York regions from Western NY to the Adirondacks, Hudson Valley and more. <\/p>\n

\"Kearns,Clayton DeClemente leads a Men’s 1000 meter quarterfinal on Day 3 of the US Short Track Speed Skating Olympic Trials at Utah Olympic Oval on Dec. 19, 2021, in Kearns, Utah. DeClemente is from Poughkeepsie, New York. (Photo by Alex Goodlett\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesClayton DeClemente – Poughkeepsie, Hudson Valley<\/a><\/p>\n

Clayton DeClemente was roller skating around his Poughkeepsie home as a kid when his mom decided to sign him up for speedskating, according to his Team USA biography<\/a>. He was named to his first world championship team in 2021 and has been competing on the world stage ever since. When he isn\u2019t training for the Olympics, the 26-year-old works at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, feeding hungry families and athletes from the concession stand. Milan will mark the first Olympics for DeClemente, who specializes in the 1,500-meter race.<\/p>\n

\"Ottawa,Rory Guilday, #5, of the Ottawa Charge, skates with the puck against the Minnesota Frost during the second period at The Arena at TD Place on Jan. 3, 2026, in Ottawa, Ontario. Guilday previously played hockey for Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. (Photo by Troy Parla\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesRory Guilday – Chanhassen, MinnesotaGraduate of Cornell University in the Finger Lakes<\/a><\/p>\n

Rory Guilday was in the 7th grade when a brain tumor left her unable to see from her right eye, according to her Team USA biography. After undergoing chemotherapy and spending almost a year unable to play contact sports, including hockey, Guilday returned to skating. She attended and played hockey for Cornell University<\/a> in Ithaca<\/a>, finishing her career as a two-time First Team All-Ivy League player. The 23-year-old defender made her debut with the U.S. women\u2019s hockey team at the 2022 IIHF World Championship and currently plays for the Ottawa Charge.<\/p>\n

\"Yanqing,Jonathan Gustafson of Team United States reacts while sliding during the Men’s Singles Luge Run 4 on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Sliding Centre on February 06, 2022 in Yanqing, China. Gustafson is from Massena, New York. (Photo by Julian Finney\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesJonny Gustafson – Massena, Northern New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Jonny Gustafson was just 11 years old when he got his first taste of the sport of luge at a slider search in Canton, he previously told North Country Public Radio<\/a>. Milan will mark the 28-year-old Massena native\u2019s second Olympics. Gustafson competed with Team USA Luge in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, coming in 19th place in the men\u2019s singles competition.<\/p>\n

\"Innsbruck,Zachary Di Gregorio, left, and Sean Hollander, right, of the United States, in action during the FIL Luge World Cup Men’s Doubles first run at Olympia-Eiskanal Igls on Dec. 07, 2024, in Innsbruck, Austria. Hollander is from Lake Placid, New York. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesSean Hollander – Lake Placid, Adirondacks<\/a><\/p>\n

Hailing from Lake Placid<\/a>, Upstate\u2019s \u201cOlympic Village,\u201d<\/a> the Olympics are in Sean Hollander\u2019s DNA. The 25-year-old competed for Team USA Luge at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, coming in 7th place in the team-relay-mixed category and 11th in the double-open category, according to his Team USA biography<\/a>. Milan will mark the luge athlete\u2019s second Olympics.<\/p>\n

\"Innsbruck,Chevonne Chelsea Forgan, left, and Sophia Kirkby, right, of the United States, pose in the finish area during the FIL Luge World Cup Women’s Doubles final run at Olympia-Eiskanal Igls on Dec. 07, 2024, in Innsbruck, Austria. Kirkby is from Ray Brook, New York. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesSophia Kirkby – Ray Brook, Adirondacks<\/p>\n

Ray Brook native Sophia Kirkby and her luge partner, Chevonne Forgan, are considered favorites to take home a medal in the women\u2019s doubles luge Olympic debut. It has been a long, fun journey for Kirkby, who first tried luging at Mt Van Hoevenberg when she was 7 years old, according to USA Luge<\/a>. The 24-year-old, a first-time Olympian, has a rich World Championships experience, including three medals. Kirkby also plans to bring her handmade, ceramic pins to Milan, she told Lake Placid News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"EmilyEmily Sweeney of Lake Placid, NY is pictured after the luge sprint single women competition of the Eberspaecher 5th World Cup at the Olympia Eiskanal in Innsbruck, Austria, on December 19, 2021. Johann Groder \/ APA \/ AFP via Getty ImagesJohann Groder \/ APA \/ AFP via Getty ImagesEmily Fischnaller – Suffield, Connecticut<\/p>\n

New York National Guard Veteran, Adirondack resident<\/p>\n

Two-time Olympian Emily Fischnaller, n\u00e9e Sweeney, started luge at age 10 and has deep ties to the Adirondacks. Though a Connecticut native, her father\u2019s family is from Lake Placid, her parents now live in Saranac Lake, and she and her husband own a home in Lake Placid. Fischnaller made her Olympic debut in 2018, crashing on her fourth and final run in the women\u2019s singles event and fracturing her back and neck, an injury that sidelined her for six months. A New York National Guard veteran and U.S. Army veteran of more than a decade, she returned to the Olympic stage at the 2022 Beijing Games. She is married to Italian men\u2019s luger Dominik Fischnaller, a bronze medalist at those Olympics. The couple now split their time between Lake Placid and Meransen, Italy.<\/p>\n

\"Corviglia,Christopher Lillis, of Team USA, trains during a practice session ahead of the Men\u00b4s Aerials competition during Day 9 of the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships 2025 on March 25, 2025, in Corviglia, St.Moritz, Switzerland. Lillis is from Pittsford, New York. (Photo by Marcus Hartmann\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesChris Lillis – Pittsford, Western New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris Lillis, a 27-year-old Pittsford native, has already made history in the world of aerial skiing. He was just 17 in 2016 when he became the youngest man to win a FIS aerials World Cup, according to US Ski & Snowboard<\/a>. Lillis followed up that success by winning a gold medal for the aerials team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.<\/p>\n

\"TateTate Frantz of Team United States competes during a qualification run ahead of the Men’s Individual Large Hill HS142 of the FIS World Cup Ski Jumping Four Hills Tournament Men Bischofshofen at Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze on January 05, 2026 in Bischofshofen, Austria. Christian Bruna | Getty ImagesChristian Bruna | Getty ImagesTate Frantz – Lake Placid, Adirondacks<\/p>\n

In an Instagram<\/a> announcement, 20-year-old Tate Frantz of Lake Placid recalled his desire to take part in what he called the \u201choly grail of sports.\u201d Frantz began skiing at age 2 and will make his Olympic debut as a ski jumper for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team. Nicknamed \u201cFly Guy\u201d by family and friends, he will try to become the first American ski jumper to win an Olympic medal since Anders Haugen claimed bronze at the 1924 Chamonix Games.<\/p>\n

\"KailaKaila Kuhn of the United States jumps in Women’s Aerial qualification during the FIS Freestyle World Cup at Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex on January 11, 2026 in Lake Placid, New York. Al Bello | Getty ImagesAl Bello | Getty ImagesKaila Kuhn – Boyne City, Michigan <\/p>\n

Lived and trained in Lake Placid, Adirondacks <\/p>\n

This will be the second Olympics for Kaila Kuhn. She moved to Lake Placid at age 13 to train as a freestyle skier and reached the national team within two years, becoming the youngest member of the U.S. aerials team. Now 22, Kuhn returned to Lake Placid earlier this month to win her first career World Cup championship \u2014 in the same place where she first learned to jump. She told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise<\/a> that Lake Placid is where her aerial skiing roots were formed, and she considers the bobsledders who also trained there her \u201cuncles\u201d for protecting her as a kid. <\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, there\u2019s not a better place that I would have wanted to get my first World Cup win,\u201d she said in the interview. <\/p>\n

\"Edmonton,Hayley Scamurra, #16, of Team USA, skates during game two of the 2025 Rivalry Series against Team Canada at Rogers Place on Dec. 13, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Scamurra is from Getzville, a hamlet in the town of Amherst in Upstate New York. (Photo by Leila Devlin\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHayley Scamurra – Getzville, Western New York<\/p>\n

Hayley Scamurra was only 7 years old when she told her youth hockey team that she would become an Olympian, according to her Team USA biography<\/a>. Now 31, the Getzville native who grew up outside of Buffalo is once again living her childhood dream. She competed in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, where she and the U.S. women\u2019s hockey team won a silver medal. Scamurra, a former member of the Buffalo Beauts, currently plays for Montr\u00e9al Victoire.<\/p>\n

\"Edmonton,Haley Winn, #8, of Team USA, skates during game two of the 2025 Rivalry Series against Team Canada at Rogers Place on December 13, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Winn, a native of Rochester, New York, is set to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. (Photo by Leila Devlin\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHaley Winn – Rochester, Western New York<\/p>\n

Growing up in snowy Rochester<\/a>, Haley Winn learned to skate on a rink her dad built in the backyard, according to her Team USA biography<\/a>. She\u2019s come far from the pickup games with her older brothers: Winn, 22, is a defender with Team USA\u2019s women\u2019s hockey team. The Clarkson University graduate made her debut with the team during the 2022-23 Rivalry Series against Canada and has won three medals, including two golds.<\/p>\n

Katie Verderber – Valier, MontanaGraduate of Syracuse University, Central New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Katie Verderber, a Montana native, earned her law degree from Syracuse University. She was serving as judge advocate general for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2019 when a back injury permanently damaged her spine, according to her Team USA biography<\/a>. After finding out she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, Verderber took up wheelchair curling in 2024. One year later, she was named to Team USA\u2019s Paralympic wheelchair curling team. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe I found out two years ago I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life to learning I\u2019m going to be a Paralympian,\u201d Verderber told Team USA.<\/p>\n

Upstate New York\u2019s Olympic footprint in Milan will extend beyond Team USA. A handful of athletes with college, family or training ties to the region will skate for other countries. Here\u2019s who you will see: <\/p>\n

\"Utica,Nina Christof, #29, of Germany, takes a shot during the second period in a game against China during the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship at Adirondack Bank Center on April 09, 2024, in Utica, New York. Christof is currently a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. (Photo by Troy Parla\/Getty Images)Getty ImagesNina Christof – Hammelburg, GermanyStudent at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, Capital Region<\/a><\/p>\n

Nina Christof will go from playing on rinks in Upstate New York to a rink in Italy when she plays for Germany\u2019s women\u2019s ice hockey team in Milan. Christof, a native of Germany, is a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, where she is a senior forward and captain of the women\u2019s hockey team. Her college announced her inclusion on Germany\u2019s Olympic team in a Facebook post<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n

\"ThomasDallas Stars’ Thomas Harley celebrates after scoring in overtime in Game 6 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets in Dallas, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo\/Gareth Patterson)APThomas Harley – Jamesville, Central New York<\/p>\n

Thomas Harley<\/a> is a Central New Yorker with dual Canadian citizenship. (Both of his parents were born in Canada.) The Jamesville native skated for Canada at the Under-18 World Championship in 2019 and at the World Junior Championship in 2021, where he won silver. In Milan, the Dallas Stars defenseman will play for Team Canada.<\/p>\n

\"AkaneAkane Hosoyamada #8 of Team Japan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women’s Preliminary Round Group B match at Wukesong Sports Center on February 06, 2022 in Beijing, China. Elsa | Getty ImagesElsa | Getty ImagesAkane Hosoyamada – Banff, Alberta, Canada <\/p>\n

Former Syracuse University women\u2019s hockey player<\/p>\n

Akane Hosoyamada heads to the Winter Olympics for a third time this year. Born in Canada, she started playing hockey at age 5 and after graduation went on to play five seasons at Syracuse University, redshirting her sophomore year. Both of her parents are from Japan, and Hosoyamada relocated there in 2017 to play professionally, continuing her path to the Olympic stage.<\/p>\n

Monja Wagner – Romanshorn, Switzerland<\/p>\n

Student at Union College in Schenectady, Capital Region<\/p>\n

Monja Wagner is the second college student from the Capital Region set to compete in ice hockey at the Winter Olympics in Milan. Wagner, a student at Union College and a junior goaltender for the school\u2019s women\u2019s hockey team, will make her Olympic debut on Switzerland\u2019s women\u2019s ice hockey team. She is the first Union women\u2019s hockey player to make it onto an Olympic roster, her college announced earlier this month in a news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The region\u2019s impact on the Games continues off the ice and track, with Upstate New York coaches and former athletes traveling to Milan to support Team USA and international squads.<\/p>\n

\"BritniToronto Furies Britni Smith (19) fires the puck past Boston Blades goalie Brittany Ott (31) during the overtime period at the Championship game in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Clarkson Cup at the Markham Centennial Centre, March 22, 2014. Andrew Francis Wallace\/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesAndrew Francis Wallace\/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesBritni Smith – Syracuse, Central New York <\/p>\n

Britni Smith, the second head coach in Syracuse women\u2019s hockey history, will represent her home country as an assistant coach for Hockey Canada in Milan. A native of Port Perry, Ontario, Smith was an award-winning student-athlete at St. Lawrence University and later played professionally in the Canadian Women\u2019s Hockey League with the Toronto Furies, as well as for Hockey Canada\u2019s under-22 national team. She went on to coach at the University of Toronto and Clarkson University before joining Syracuse in 2022, and has worked in a coaching role with Hockey Canada since 2014.<\/p>\n

Melissa Piacentini – Weymouth, Massachusetts<\/p>\n

Former Syracuse University women\u2019s hockey player<\/p>\n

Now an assistant coach for the Northeastern women\u2019s hockey team, Melissa Piacentini played for the Syracuse Orange women\u2019s hockey from 2012-2015. She became the first player in Syracuse women\u2019s ice hockey history to crack 100 points and ended her collegiate career as the program\u2019s all-time leader in points (112), goals (53), assists (59), plus\/minus (+60) and multi-point games (27). Piacentini will serve as a video coach for the U.S. Olympic Women\u2019s Ice Hockey Team.<\/p>\n

Upstate New York is also home to Olympic alternates who will be fully trained and ready to step in if a qualifying athlete is unable to compete.<\/p>\n

\"JacobUnited States’ Jacob Sanchez competes in the men’s Short Program during the ISU figure skating Grand Prix Cup of China 2025 in Chongqing, in southwest China on October 24, 2025. WANG Zhao \/ AFP via Getty ImagesWANG Zhao \/ AFP via Getty ImagesJacob Sanchez – Montgomery, Hudson Valley <\/p>\n

Team USA figure skater alternate<\/p>\n

Jacob Sanchez of Montgomery in Orange County began figure skating at age 5 after initially hoping to play hockey. While taking beginner skating lessons, he discovered a love for the feeling of gliding across the ice on figure skates. The 18-year-old most recently finished eighth among 26 competitors at the 2026 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing, China. Sanchez trains at the Hudson Valley Figure Skating Club with 1984 Olympic pairs bronze medalists Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov, as well as U.S. Figure Skating technical specialist Patch David.<\/p>\n