Jackson Hole Athlete Qualifies for Olympics in Skimo Debut
Jackson Hole-bred athlete Anna Gibson and her teammate Cameron Smith, of Crested Butte, Colorado, are going to Milano-Cortina 2026.
2026 marks the first time that ski mountaineering, or Skimo, will be included in the Winter Olympic Games. There are 36 quota spots for the Milano-Cortina games, ten of which have already been allocated. The remaining 26 spots are determined by a combination of world rankings and regional representation.
At the World Cup race in Utah this past weekend, Team USA was in a close battle with Canada for an Olympic spot. Following last season’s events, the two teams’ standings were separated by only one point, with Canada in the lead.
Gibson, who is known as a professional trail runner, joined Smith over this past weekend at Solitude Mountain Resort for the ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Cup race. The two met at the USA Vertical Championships earlier this year, when Smith took third place in the men’s division, and Gibson won the women’s. Smith pitched the idea of teaming up for Skimo races with Gibson; it was a no-brainer.
Gibson attended a USA Skimo training camp in Italy and had to compete in a selection event for Team USA. At the selection event, she beat one of the top female Skimo racers in America by a massive margin in all three races, and earned her spot with Smith in the mixed relay at Solitude.
This past weekend at Solitude, Gibson and Smith traded off hoofing laps uphill, transitioning from skin to ski mode, and skiing down as fast as they could for a chance to beat Canada out for the Olympic spot.
When push came to shove, Gibson and Smith crossed the finish line well ahead of any other team, including the Canadian team, earning them a spot in the Olympics and the USA’s first-ever gold medal in a World Cup Skimo event.
Check out a video recap of the race by tapping or clicking below. Keep reading for more.
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Gibson, who is known for her accolades in trail running, is one of those athletes who seems to dominate at any endurance sport she puts her mind to. She grew up ski racing in Teton Village before trading in her ski boots for running shoes while attending the University of Washington.
However, Gibson’s ultimate proving grounds have always been the mountains, which were further exemplified when she started winning notable trail races like The Rut. In 2025 alone, Gibson placed first at USA Mountain Running Championships, USA Vertical Championships, and placed first and set course records at Gorge Waterfalls 30K and Jackson Hole‘s Rendezvous Hill Climb. Gibson also placed third at the elite Lifetime Grand Prix gravel race, Crusher in the Tushar.
Gibson is now the second athlete to be representing the USA and Teton County in Milano-Cortina this year, alongside mogul skier Jaelin Kauf, who hails from Alta, Wyoming.
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