2022 Winter Olympics: Athletes from Oregon and Washington compete
From downhill and cross-country skiing to snowboarding and short track, several athletes from Oregon and Washington will be aiming for gold in Beijing.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A total of 222 American athletes will be chasing gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Among the competitors are several athletes from Oregon and Washington who will represent the American team. They will participate in downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and short track events.
Below is an overview of athletes with ties to the Pacific Northwest, including some first-time Olympians.
The Winter Olympics are February 4-20, but some events will take place as early as February 2. KGW News will broadcast the opening ceremony live at 3:30 a.m. PT on Friday, February 4. It will be broadcast again. in the evening during prime time.
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Oregon
Luke Winters, alpine skiing (slalom)
Gresham’s Luke Winters will make his Olympic debut in Beijing. He learned to ski at Mt. Hood and graduated from Sugar Bowl Academy near Lake Tahoe, California in 2015. The 24-year-old won his first national championship title in 2019, landing on the top step of the podium in the alpine combined at Sugarloaf. , Maine. He also won a bronze medal in the super-G at the World Junior Championships in 2018. Most recently, Winters placed in the top 10 at the first slalom race of 2022 in Adelboden, Switzerland.
Jacqueline “Jackie” Wiles, Alpine Skiing (Alpine)
Jackie Wiles was born in Portland and attended Canby High School. She was named to Team USA at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and finished 26th in the downhill. Wiles had to miss the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang due to injury. She has five career top 10 finishes in the World Cup, including two podium finishes. Most recently, Wiles had his best result in four years when he finished 14th in the downhill race in Italy on January 22.
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Tommy Ford, alpine skiing (giant slalom)
Tommy Ford lives in Bend and trains at Mt. Bachelor. He finished 20th in the giant slalom at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang and 26th in the giant slalom in Vancouver in 2010. Ford is returning to racing after suffering a serious knee injury at a World Cup in Switzerland on January 9, 2021 He’s had three giant slalom podiums in World Cup races and a win in 2020 in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Sean FitzSimons, snowboarding (slopestyle)
Sean FitzSimons of Hood River will make his Olympic debut in Beijing. The 21-year-old recently won a World Cup title, placing first at the 2022 Laax Open SS. Although he is part of the USA slopestyle team, FitzSimons is also talented in halfpipe and big air . He has been on the US Rev Tour competing in all three events in 2018. He is also an avid skateboarder and kitesurfer. FitzSimons attends the University of Utah.
Asa Miller, alpine skiing (slalom and giant slalom)
Asa Miller was born in Portland and went to Lincoln High School. He will be the only athlete representing the Philippines at the 2022 Winter Olympics and will carry the flag during the Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony. Miller finished 70th in giant slalom at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. He trains at Snowbird in Utah.
Rico Roman, Paralympic Winter Games (Sledge Hockey)
Rico Roman is a two-time Paralympian from Portland. He won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in PyeongChang in 2018 and Sochi in 2014. Roman is a retired staff sergeant who had his left leg amputated above the knee when he was injured by an improvised explosive device during his third tour of Iraq. in 2007.
Washington
Katie Hensien, alpine skiing
Katie Hensien of Redmond, Washington will make her Olympic debut in Beijing. She was part of the Junior World Championships team that took second place in the team event in Val di Fassa, Italy.
Novie McCabe, cross-country skiing
Novie McCabe of Winthrop, Washington placed 7th in the 10km freestyle at the World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She was a member of the 2020 World Junior Championships women’s relay team where she won silver in the 4×3.3km relay.
Corrine Stoddard, short track speed skating
Corrine Stoddard was born in Seattle, Washington. She won a bronze medal in the B 3000m relay at the 2021 World Championships. Stoddard also competed at the 2019 and 2020 World Junior Short Track Championships, winning silver in the 100m and bronze in the 500m.
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