Indiana Native Secures Spot on U.S Ski Team for Winter Olympics
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Nick Goepper, the Lawrenceburg-born freestyle skiing standout and one of America’s most accomplished winter athletes, has officially secured a spot on Team USA’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
Goepper’s journey began as a child, skiing at Perfect North Slopes near his hometown of Lawrenceburg. He started skiing at age five and entered his first competition by age 11, quickly rising through the ranks to join the U.S. Freeski team as a teenager.
At 31 years old, Goepper will compete in his fourth consecutive Winter Games. He punched his ticket to Milano-Cortina after a standout performance on the World Cup circuit, including a victory in the freeski halfpipe that confirmed his place among the nation’s top contenders.
He first burst onto the world stage at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, claiming a bronze medal in slopestyle as part of a historic American podium sweep. He went on to collect silver medals at both the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Games, making him the only U.S. skier to earn three Olympic medals in men’s freestyle slopestyle competition.
After briefly retiring from competition in 2023, he returned with a renewed focus on halfpipe skiing. He captured a gold medal at the 2025 X Games.
Goepper will look to become the first American skier to medal in four different Winter Games as he prepares for Milan-Cortina
