February 21, 2014 (Colorado Springs, Colorado) – The United States Olympic Committee today announced the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team that will compete in the upcoming Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, March 7-16, in Russia. The 80-member team, which includes six guides for visually impaired athletes, is comprised of 22 women and 58 men.

“It is a very exciting time for the Paralympic Movement, and we are honored to announce the largest team we have ever sent to a Paralympic Winter Games,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “I am confident that this group of talented athletes is going to represent our country well both on and off the ice and snow. With the expanded platform of television coverage provided in partnership with NBC, these athletes are not only going to captivate the country, but also inspire the next generation of athletes following in their footsteps.”

Team USA’s 80 athletes will compete throughout the nine days of Paralympic competition in all five sports: alpine skiing (which includes snowboarding), biathlon, cross-country skiing,  sled hockey and wheelchair curling.

While 50 athletes represented Team USA at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, the roster has grown by 30 athletes in 2014. Notable increases came from the addition of 10 athletes competing in the debut of snowboard cross at the Paralympic Winter Games and from the Nordic skiing (biathlon and cross-country skiing) team tripling in size over the past four years.

The 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team features 32 returning Paralympians who have won a combined haul of 50 Paralympic medals. The roster includes seven-time Paralympian Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.), five-time Paralympian Chris Devlin-Young (Bethlehem, N.H.), four four-time Paralympians, eight three-time Paralympians and 18 two-time Paralympians.
Eighteen athletes who have represented the U.S. as military veterans and active duty service members will represent Team USA in Sochi. The Nordic skiing team boasts the highest percentage of veterans, with eight of the sixteen athletes having military experience.

The 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team roster may still be adjusted due to injury, illness or exceptional circumstances up to the technical meetings for each sport.
2014 U.S. Paralympic Team Notes

Defending gold medalist from Vancouver include alpine skiers Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.) and Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah), as well as eight returning members of gold-medal winning 2010 sled hockey team: Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.), Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.), Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.), Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.), Greg Shaw (Merritt Island, Fla.) and Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa)

Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Md.) is the most decorated athlete on the team with 10 Paralympic medals; however, none of them are from the Paralympic Winter Games. McFadden is making her winter sport debut in Nordic skiing after first gaining international fame in track & field.

Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.) has been on every U.S. Paralympic Team roster, summer or winter, since 2002 as a seven-time Paralympian and seven-time medalist in alpine skiing and cycling.

Six athletes from the London 2012 Paralympic Games have been named to the roster: Monica Bascio (Evergreen, Colo., cycling/Nordic skiing) Jones (cycling/alpine skiing), Oksana Masters (Louisville, Ky., rowing/Nordic skiing), McFadden (track & field/ Nordic skiing), Nichols (wheelchair basketball/alpine skiing), Aaron Pike (Park Rapids, Minn.,track & field/Nordic skiing)

Thirty-three states are represented, with Colorado home to the most athletes with the tally at 14.

Sled hockey’s Brody Robyal (Northlake, Ill.) is the youngest athletes on the team at 15 years old. Alpine skier Mark Bathum (Mercer Island, Wash.) is the most senior member of the team at 55 years old.

Eighteen athletes balance training and competition schedules with raising a family; three athletes are mothers and 15 are fathers.

Alpine skiing (30)
Nordic skiing (18)
Sled hockey (17)

Women
– *Lindsay Ball (Benton, Maine)
– Stephanie Jallen (Harding, Pa.)
– Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
– *Staci Mannella (Randolph, N.J.)
– Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.)
– Melanie Schwartz (Aspen, Colo.)
– Laurie Stephens (Wenham, Mass.)
– *Danelle Umstead (Park City, Utah)
– Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah)

Men
– Jasmin Bambur (Granby, Colo.)
– *Mark Bathum (Seattle, Wash.)
– Heath Calhoun (Bristol, Tenn.)
– Tyler Carter (Topton, Pa.)
– Chris Devlin-Young (Bethlehem, N.H.)
– Ralph Green (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
– Gerald Hayden (Winter Park, Colo.)
– Joel Hunt (Kokomo, Ind.)
– Ian Jansing (Granby, Colo.)
– Andrew Kurka (Palmer, Alaska)
– Jon Lujan (Littleton, Colo.)
– Stephen Lawler (Burlington, Vt.)
– Scott Meyer (Frisco, Colo.)
– Pat Parnell (Columbia, Conn.)
– Jamie Stanton (Oakland Township, Mich.)
– Joe Tompkins (Juneau, Alaska)
– Tyler Walker (Franconia, N.H.)

Guides*
– Diane Barras (Bethel, Maine) Guide for Lindsay Ball
– Kim Seevers (Averill Park, N.Y.) Guide for Staci Mannella
– Rob Umstead (Park City, Utah) Guide for Danelle Umstead
– Cade Yamamoto (Quincy, Wash.) Guide for Mark Bathum

Women
– Monica Bascio (Evergreen, Colo.)
– Oksana Masters (Louisville, Ky.)
– Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Md.)
– Beth Requist (Winter Park, Colo.)

Men
– *Jake Adicoff (Sun Valley, Idaho)
– Omar Bermejo (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
– *Kevin Burton (Boulder, Colo.)
– Lt. Cmdr. Dan Cnossen (Topeka, Kan.)
– Travis Dodson (Deming, N.M.)
– Sean Halsted (Spokane, Wash.)
– John Oman (Rice Lake, Wis.)
– Augusto Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.)
– Aaron Pike (Park Rapids, Minn.)
– Bryan Price (Belton, Mo.)
– Andy Soule (San Antonio, Texas)
– Jeremy Wagner (Nanakuli, Hawaii)

Guides*
– David Chamberlain (Wilton, Maine) Guide for Kevin Burton
– Reid Pletcher (Ketchum, Idaho) Guide for Jake Adicoff

– Tyler Carron (Fort Collins. Colo.)
– Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.)
– Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.)
– Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.)
– Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.)
– Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.)
– Taylor Lipsett (Plano, Texas)
– Dan McCoy (Cheswick, Pa.)
– Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa)
– Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.)
– Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.)
– Rico Roman (Portland, Ore.)
– Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.)
– Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.)
– Greg Shaw (Merritt Island, Fla.)
– Josh Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.)
– Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa)

Snowboarding (10)
Wheelchair Curling (5)

Women
– Cristina Albert (Denver, Colo.)
– Heidi Jo Duce (Ouray, Colo.)
– Megan Harmon (Huntsville, Ala.)
– Amy Purdy (Las Vegas, Nev.)
– Nicole Roundy (Bountiful, Utah)

Men
– Tyler Burdick (Salt Lake City, Utah)
– Keith Gabel (Ogden, Utah)
– Dan Monzo (Vernon, N.J.)
– Mike Shea (Castaic, Calif.)
– Evan Strong (Nevada City, Calif.)

– Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.)
– Jimmy Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.)
– Meghan Lino (East Falmouth, Mass.)
– Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.)
– David Palmer (Mashpee, Mass.)