Maryland athletes are preparing to take the world stage as the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics get underway in Milano-Cortina, Italy. With competitions spanning Feb 6-22 for the Olympics and March 6-15 for the Paralympics, several Team USA competitors with deep Maryland roots will be chasing medals while carrying hometown pride with them overseas, as shared by the Maryland Department of Energy Management.
Bryan Sosoo, a bobsled athlete who grew up in Laurel and graduated from Reservoir High School, represents one of the fastest Olympic ascents in recent memory. A former track and field standout at Monmouth University, Sosoo transitioned to bobsledding in 2024 and earned a spot on the Olympic team in under two years. That timeline is considered nearly impossible in a sport where athletes often train for many years before reaching the Olympic level.
Bethesda native Carsten Vissering also joins the U.S. bobsled team, bringing a unique athletic background to the ice. A Georgetown Prep graduate, Vissering was an elite swimmer who trained at the same club as Katie Ledecky before becoming an NCAA champion at USC. Nicknamed “the lifter who swam,” he now uses his explosive strength as a push athlete in bobsled competition.
Luge veteran Summer Britcher adds experience and history to the Maryland contingent. Born in Baltimore, Britcher will compete in her fourth Olympic Games in 2026, making her just the third U.S. women’s singles slider ever to reach that milestone. She enters the Games as the all time victory leader in USA Luge history, with seven World Cup singles wins to her name.
Skeleton racer Mystique Ro brings strong local ties to Frederick, where she lived and competed as a youth athlete. Heading into the Games, Ro is among the top ranked skeleton racers in the world. On the Cortina track, she is expected to reach speeds exceeding 80 mph while racing headfirst down the ice.
On the Paralympic side, Frederick native and Towson University graduate Noah Grove returns to the ice aiming for a historic three peat. A two time Paralympic gold medalist in para ice hockey, Grove won gold with Team USA in both 2018 and 2022. His elite athleticism extends beyond hockey, as he also represented the United States at age 15 in the 2014 Amputee World Cup of Soccer and continues to play amputee soccer during the hockey offseason to stay in peak condition.
