U.S. Soccer Star Chases Lifelong Olympic Dream as 2026 Winter Games Beckon
Just two months following her appearance on the defensive line during Stanford's 2025 NCAA College Cup championship game, Sammy Smith will find herself at a different kind of starting position—the starting line for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics, representing Team USA as one of 16 cross-country skiing competitors.
The 20-year-old Boise, Idaho native has successfully juggled both soccer and cross-country skiing during her Stanford career and is positioned to become the first Cardinal student-athlete to participate in Winter Olympic competition in a discipline outside their primary varsity sport since 1984.
Smith secured her Olympic berth through victories in both the skate sprint and classic sprint disciplines at the U.S. Cross-Country Championships held in January at Lake Placid, New York, the historic venue of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games.
These triumphs occurred just weeks after Stanford's women's soccer team advanced to the national title game, where they battled Florida State for the championship.
"We received homeschooling here until eighth grade. My parents understood the tremendous advantage of spending concentrated time on snow and provided my siblings and me with the optimal opportunity to pursue that," Smith shared with Olympics, discussing her journey of managing both soccer and skiing during her youth.
"Representing the United States at Olympic competition has always been my aspiration—and achieving it in both skiing and soccer."
Following her qualification, Smith placed 12th in a World Cup sprint competition in Oberhof, Germany, as she builds momentum toward the Olympics.
A Different Team USA
A Different Team USA
When Smith steps into her skis in Italy, it won't mark her debut representing Team USA in major international competition. She previously wore the U.S. jersey for women's national youth squads at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India, plus the U-19 squad at the 2023 Pan American Games competing against senior-level opposition in Santiago, Chile.
The United States advanced through group play at the 2022 U-17 World Cup before losing to Nigeria in a penalty shootout, eliminating them in the quarterfinal round. During the Pan Am Games, Smith's American team captured bronze, defeating Argentina in the third-place contest with Smith contributing 81 minutes of play.
Although Smith hasn't competed in Summer Olympic Games, she joins a select group of multi-sport athletes reaching elite performance levels across disciplines. In her past, she also served as tailback, cornerback, and handled placekicking and punting duties for her school's football squad
Eleven American competitors have participated in both Summer and Winter Olympics across different sports, with the most recent occurrence at Tokyo 2020. For the 2026 Games, former collegiate soccer standout and Team Canada member Kelsey Mitchell will accomplish the uncommon achievement of competing in a third sport, having captured Olympic gold in women's cycling at Tokyo 2020 after transitioning from soccer, before switching to bobsleigh and earning qualification for Milano-Cortina.
How to Watch Smith at the 2026 Winter Olympics
How to Watch Smith at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Cross-country skiing events at Milano-Cortina 2026 will occur at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium located in Lago di Tesero, Italy, within the Val di Fiemme area of the Dolomites from February 7 through February 22.
NBC and USA Network will provide broadcast and streaming coverage of the Olympic Games for United States audiences, with complete event and broadcast scheduling, including replay availability accessible here.