It’s no secret that Colorado is a mecca for winter sports. So when the U.S. Olympic Committee announced the Team USA roster for the 2018 Games in South Korea, it’s not surprising that Coloradans are leading the way. Of the 242 U.S. athletes heading to PyeongChang, 31 Olympians hail from the Centennial State, representing a variety of sports—from freestyle and alpine skiing to ice hockey, snowboarding, bobsledding, biathalon, and skeleton.

California ranks second with 22 athletes, followed by Minnesota with 19, New York with 18, and Utah with 16 athletes. Of course, it’s worth noting that Colorado is only third when the results are adjusted for population. Per capita, Vermont (13 athletes, population of 624,000) leads the way with one Olympian per every 48,000 residents. Alaska ranks second (9 athletes, population 740,00) with one athlete per every 82,400 residents. And Colorado, with an approximate population of 5.5 million, boasts one Olympian per every 177,000 residents.

With Colorado’s sprawling summits, high elevation, and Olympic Training Center (in Colorado Springs), it’s no wonder that so many Olympians choose to make our state their home base. Many of the world’s top alpine skiers traveled to Colorado in November to train for the Olympics—teams from Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Italy, Canada, and Japan all took practice runs at Copper Mountain’s U.S. Ski Team Speed Center because the course resembles the one they’ll race in PyeongChang.

Thirteen of the Coloradans on Team USA are returning Olympians, including skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender and alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, who are each returning for the fourth time. Skiing phenom Mikaela Shiffrin, from Eagle-Vail, is competing in her second Olympics and looks to defend her 2014 Olympic gold medal in alpine slalom. Additionally, having expanded her skill-set over the past few years, the 22-year-old could bring home as many as four gold medals to Colorado. 

The Olympics begin February 8, with the opening ceremony airing on the 9th. Click here for a schedule of the competitions and get ready to cheer on your fellow Coloradans and Team USA.

Here’s a full list of the Coloradans heading to the Olympics.

  1. Casey Andringa, Boulder — Freestyle Skiing
  2. Ben Berend, Steamboat Springs — Nordic Combined
  3. Aaron Blunck, Crested Butte — Freestyle Skiing
  4. David Chodounsky, Crested Butte — Alpine Skiing
  5. Chris Corning, Silverthorne — Snowboarding
  6. Mick Dierdorff, Steamboat Springs — Snowboarding
  7. Alex Ferreira, Aspen — Freestyle Skiing
  8. Bryan Fletcher, Steamboat Springs — Nordic Combined
  9. Taylor Fletcher, Steamboat Springs — Nordic Combined
  10. Red Gerard, Silverthorne — Snowboarding
  11. Lauren Gibbs, Denver — Bobsled
  12. Arielle Gold, Steamboat Springs — Snowboarding
  13. Jasper Good, Steamboat Springs — Nordic Combined
  14. Simi Hamilton, Aspen — Cross-Country Skiing
  15. Nicole Hensley, Lakewood — Ice Hockey
  16. Noah Hoffman, Aspen — Cross-Country Skiing
  17. Tess Johnson, Vail — Freestyle Skiing
  18. Hagen Kearny, Norwood — Snowboarding
  19. Gus Kenworthy, Telluride — Freestyle Skiing
  20. Wiley Maple, Aspen — Alpine Skiing
  21. Keaton McCargo, Telluride — Freestyle Skiing
  22. Alice McKennis, New Castle — Alpine Skiing
  23. Jake Pates, Eagle — Snowboarding
  24. Joanne Reid, Boulder — Biathlon
  25. Mikaela Shiffrin, Eagle-Vail — Alpine Skiing
  26. Troy Terry, Highlands Ranch — Ice Hockey
  27. Meghan Tierney, Eagle — Snowboarding
  28. Katie Uhlaender, Breckenridge — Skeleton
  29. Lindsey Vonn, Vail — Alpine Skiing
  30. Nathan Weber, Pueblo West — Bobsled
  31. Torin Yater-Wallace, Basalt — Freestyle Skiing