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Nine Mothers Compete for Team USA as USOPC Expands Support at 2026 Winter Games

New funding plus forthcoming research target women’s health gaps around pregnancy and fertility care.

Overview

  • Team USA’s 2026 Winter roster features nine mothers, a sharp rise from just one in 2018.
  • The USOPC arranged baby-gear rentals and created childcare grants for families with children under three after milk-shipping services proved unworkable across Milan, Cortina, and Bormio due to customs hurdles.
  • The USOPC’s Women’s Health Taskforce, founded in 2022 by sports medicine lead Amber Donaldson with physician Kate Ackerman as co-chair, is addressing gaps in an area where only about 6% of sports science research focuses on women.
  • More than $14 million has been raised over three years for women’s health, with a dedicated fund planned for later this year to cover services not included in USOPC insurance, such as in vitro fertilization that can cost around $25,000 per cycle.
  • Taskforce experts are preparing evidence for WADA to argue that currently banned fertility medications and some prenatal vitamins do not enhance performance and should be permitted.