CU Boulder Adds Two More Olympians to 2026 Winter Games Roster
BOULDER - The Olympic pipeline running through Boulder just got a little stronger.
The University of Colorado Boulder is sending two more athletes to the 2026 Winter Olympics, with skier Hugo Hinckfuss and snowboarder Stacy Gaskill officially named to their respective national teams. Both are set to make their second Olympic appearance, adding to CU’s rich legacy of winter sports excellence.
Hinckfuss, a current member of the Colorado ski team, earned his spot on Australia’s cross-country skiing roster. He’s stepping away from the spring semester to focus fully on Olympic competition - a move that’s already paid off. This will be his second time representing Australia on the world stage, having previously competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics before joining the Buffs.
Gaskill’s road back to the Olympics is the kind of story that resonates far beyond the slopes. The CU student has been named to Team USA in snowboarding, marking a remarkable return from a serious knee injury.
Just over a year ago, Gaskill tore her ACL during training at a World Cup event in Italy - a setback that ended her season before it even began. After undergoing surgery at the renowned Steadman Clinic and grinding through months of rehab, she’s back - and back at the highest level.
Both athletes now join an already impressive group of Buffs heading to Milan-Cortina in 2026. Hinckfuss becomes the fifth varsity student-athlete from CU to qualify for these Games and the second active skier from the current roster, joining teammate Jakob Moch, who will represent Germany in cross-country skiing.
Here’s the full list of CU Boulder athletes confirmed so far for the 2026 Winter Olympics:
- Joanne Reid - Biathlon - Team USA
- Jakob Moch - Cross-Country Skiing - Germany
- Ryder Sarchett - Alpine Skiing - Team USA
- Alvar Alev - Cross-Country Skiing - Estonia
- Svea Irving - Freestyle Skiing - Team USA
- Hugo Hinckfuss - Cross-Country Skiing - Australia
- Stacy Gaskill - Snowboarding - Team USA
Hinckfuss now becomes the 16th CU ski team member to compete in multiple Olympic Games - a testament to the program’s consistency and global reach. In total, current and former Buff skiers have produced 45 Olympians and 65 Olympic appearances, cementing CU’s place as one of the premier collegiate programs in the winter sports world.
Gaskill’s selection adds another chapter to CU’s snowboarding history. She’s now the 26th CU Boulder Olympian to appear in multiple Winter Games and just the fourth to do so in snowboarding. She also becomes the 44th CU Boulder student to represent Team USA at the Winter Olympics, with that group now combining for 73 Olympic appearances.
At the university level, CU Boulder has now produced 62 Winter Olympians and at least 94 total Olympic appearances - numbers that continue to climb with each Olympic cycle.
With the 2026 Games drawing closer, CU’s presence on the international stage is once again impossible to ignore. Whether it’s the endurance of cross-country skiing or the high-flying drama of snowboarding, the Buffs are bringing depth, experience, and a whole lot of talent to Milan-Cortina.