Six U.S. Skiers to Watch in the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina

When the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games kick off this week, the U.S. para alpine team will arrive with a mix of experience and young athletes chasing their first podiums. Across the speed and technical events, a handful of athletes stand out as the Americans most likely to be in the medal mix. Here are six skiers to keep an eye on when the competition begins. Scroll to the bottom for a streaming and cable schedule.

American Skiers to Watch in 2026 Paralympic Games

Laurie Stephens

• Age: 41
• Hometown: Wenham, Mass.
• Specialty: Sitting Downhill

Laurie Stephens is no stranger to the Paralympics. She’s actually one of the most decorated U.S. para alpine skiers with seven medals, including multiple golds, across several different events. Born with spina bifida, Stephens started skiing at age 12, and tried ski racing at 15. She’s competed in five different Winter Games, from 2006 Turin up to 2022 Beijing. She’s also competed in para swimming and held records in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke.

Tyler McKenzie

• Age: 34
• Hometown: Leominster, Mass.
• Specialty: Standing Giant Slalom

First-time Paralympian Tyler McKenzie grew up skiing with his parents in the Northeast. In his early 20s, a biking accident caused a brachial plexus injury that affected the use of the left arm. After several nerve transfers and left shoulder fusion, McKenzie returned to the slopes and relearned to ski, eventually turning to para racing. He made the U.S. Championships podium three times and is in prime position to battle for a medal in Cortina.

Audrey Crowley

• Age: 19
• Hometown: Eagle, Colo.
• Specialties: Standing Downhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super-G

Another first-time Paralympian, Audrey Crowley is one of the youngest members of the U.S. Alpine Para Ski Team, but she’s perfectly comfortable on the international stage. She already bagged a bronze medal in the 2025 Para Alpine World Ski Championships in Standing Giant Slalom, and has the speed and technical prowess to make her mark in Cortina. Born without her lower left arm, Crowley began skiing at age 2 at a tiny hill in Wisconsin. Soon after, the family moved to Colorado so Crowley could continue ski racing. The teen will be competing in the Standing Alpine disciplines in Cortina.

Jasmin Bambur

• Age: 46
• Hometown: Granby, Colo.
• Specialty: Sitting Giant Slalom, Slalom

Four-time Paralympian Jasmin Bambur has quite the résumé, competing in the Sitting disciplines in the Vancouver, Sochi, PyeongChang, and Beijing games. His best finishes include 7th in the Sochi Super-G, 8th in the Beijing Slalom, and 9th in the Vancouver Downhill, accomplishments that showcase his versatility and perseverance. A war refugee from Bosnia, Bambur moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 12. In 2000, Bambur sustained a spinal cord injury from a car accident and has lived a paraplegic ever since. He’ll be competing in the sitting events with medal hopes in Cortina.

Kelsey O’Driscoll

• Age: 32
• Hometown: Glens Falls, N.Y.
• Specialty: Standing Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom

Kelsey O’Driscoll started skiing at just two years old, and spent lots of time on the slopes of Gore Mountain, where her dad was a summer whitewater guide. After sustaining a spinal fracture in a sledding accident in her late 20s, O’Driscoll relearned how to walk—and ski, which led to a newfound love for ski racing. A new member of the U.S. Paralympic Alpine Team, O’Driscoll will compete in her first Winter Games after Top 10 finishes in Slalom and Giant Slalom at the FIS Para Alpine World Ski Championships in 2025.

Patrick Halgren

• Age: 33
• Hometown: Tolland, Ct.
• Specialties: Standing Slalom and Giant Slalom

Patrick Halgren will compete in his second Paralympics in Cortina—pretty impressive considering he competed in para skiing for the first time in 2018. Halgren lost his left leg above the knee following a 2013 motorcycle accident that left him in a coma for over a month. He discovered para skiing at the encouragement of his twin brother, Lucas, who subsequently died in a motorcycle crash in 2016. Halgren will be looking to better his 2022 Beijing finishes of 24th and 26th in slalom and giant slalom respectively.

How to Tune In

NBC has Olympic broadcast rights for the Milan-Cortina games (and all Olympics and Paralympics through 2036). So cable and satellite customers will find the events on NBC’s networks, including NBC, USA, and CNBC. There will be a mix of events, including skiing, across those channels, both broadcast live and through replays.

For streaming, the Peacock app is the main source for Olympic viewing. If you’re not a Peacock subscriber, you’ll need to sign up to watch the live streams. Plans start at $10.99 per month.

Hulu + Live TV is another streaming option for Olympic coverage. It’s pricey at $89.99 per month, so if you don’t already have it for other broadcasts and events, and are just looking for coverage during the Games, Peacock is a better bet.

There’s a special app just for the Olympics: NBCOlympics.com is mainly for those who have cable or satellite service. If that’s you, you can log in on that app and stream most events live or watch the replay on your own time.

Here’s the start times for all of the Cortina Paralympic alpine competitions:

Saturday, March 7

Men’s and Women’s Downhill

• Live Start (EST): 3:30 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: CNBC

Monday, March 9

Men’s and Women’s Super-G

• Live Start (EST): 4:30 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: USA

Tuesday, March 10

Men’s and Women’s Combined Super-G

• Super-G (EST): 4 a.m.
• Slalom (EST): 8 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: USA

Wednesday, March 11

Men’s and Women’s Combined Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: CNBC

Thursday, March 12

Women’s Giant Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: USA

Friday, March 13

Men’s Giant Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Streaming Only: Peacock & NBC Olympic

Men’s Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Cable Only: USA

Saturday, March 14

Women’s Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: CNBC

Sunday, March 15

Men’s Slalom

• Live Start (EST): 4 a.m.
• Streaming: Peacock & NBC Olympic
• Cable: CNBC