Park City athletes push for 2026 Olympic moguls and aerials roster

Park City’s small but deep pool of freestyle athletes is in the running for places on the United States team bound for Milan and Livigno at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Local competitors — including Nick Page, Winter Vinecki, Tess Johnson, Quinn Dehlinger and Kaila Kuhn — have posted World Cup results, podium finishes and rankings this season that put them squarely in contention for Olympic selection in moguls and aerials.

The dual moguls event, which is slated to make its Olympic debut in 2026, has added urgency and opportunity for athletes who specialize in head-to-head format. That shift in event structure broadens the pathway for Park City skiers and freeskiers whose strengths lie in aggressive lines and match-race tactics as much as technical scoring.

For Summit County the stakes are both civic and personal. These athletes carry hometown expectations and draw attention — and visitors — back to local slopes and training venues. Young athletes at neighborhood ski clubs see tangible examples of a path from local hills to Olympic start gates, which can boost youth participation and community health through increased physical activity. At the same time, the road to elite sport exposes disparities: access to coaching, travel costs for World Cup circuits, and high-performance medical and recovery services can shape which athletes advance.

Local health systems and sports medicine providers play a quiet but critical role. Intensive training and competition schedules increase demand for orthopedic care, concussion protocols, mental health support and affordable rehabilitation. Ensuring equitable access to those services for athletes across socioeconomic backgrounds will determine whether Summit County’s talent pipeline remains broad or narrows to those with greater resources.

Selection battles will come into sharper focus as the U.S. team finalizes its roster in the weeks ahead. For athletes, every World Cup start and ranking point can shift odds; for the community, each step toward Milan/Livigno is a chance to celebrate local ambition while asking how Summit County can sustain athlete development without deepening inequities.

Readers can watch for national team announcements and follow World Cup stops to track which Parkites make the final cut. Beyond medals, the season highlights a community conversation: how to balance hometown pride with concrete investments in coaching, medical care and affordable youth programs so that the next generation of Parkites can chase Olympic dreams from more equitable starting lines.