The U.S. Olympic Committee officially announced the members of the 2018 Olympic Team Friday morning and the Pacific Northwest was well represented.
Ten athletes from Oregon and Washington state will travel with Team USA to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, including downhill skiers, cross country skiers, short track speed skaters, a snowboarder and one bobsledder. Additionally, two snowboarders raised in the Pacific Northwest will compete at the PyeongChang Games for other countries -- Australia and Russia.
The Northwest contingent is a mix of Olympic veterans and rookies. The four women and six men range in age between 21 and 30 years old.
?? >>> Meet the Pacific Northwest's Olympians
The PyeongChang Games will be the second Olympics for alpine speed skier Laurenne Ross of Bend, Oregon. She said she relishes being part of “a bigger team, Team USA.” ??
“Which is something we don’t really do very often as athletes in an individual sport,” Ross said. “So that’s something that was special in 2014 in Sochi. I really look forward to that again.” ??
The U.S. cross-country ski team has a brother-sister duo who grew up along the ski trails of north central Washington's Methow Valley—Erik and Sadie Bjornsen. Sadie represents a legitimate threat to medal.
Another decent bet to stand on the Olympic podium next month is short track speed skater J.R. Celski of Federal Way, Washington.
The PyeongChang Winter Games last from February 8-25.
