Josie Johnson, Paige Jones, Kevin Bickner to ski jump in Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics

Kevin Bickner, along with other Parkites, looks forward to ski jumping in the Milan Cortina Olympics. Photo: courtesy of Kevin Bickner

PARK CITY, Utah — Paige Jones, Kevin Bickner, and Josie Johnson, all three Park City residents, have been nominated to the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic roster by U.S. Ski & Snowboard for ski jumping.

Johnson and Jones have trained and competed as members of the Park City Ski & Snowboard Team, training at the Utah Olympic Park. This will be the first Olympics for both women.

“It’s very exciting, the Games can’t arrive soon enough,” President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard Sophie Goldschmidt told TownLift at Wednesday’s J.Crew collab. “I have to be honest, I’m a bit nervous as well. There’s been so much hard work and effort put in by the athletes and their support team, and a lot is out on the line. The world’s eyes will be watching. I can’t wait to get over there and for the competitions to begin.” 

Johnson, 18, currently resides in Lillehammer, Norway. “Living here is a great mountain town vibe, it’s a lot like being back home in Park City,” she said. Johnson is a graduate of the Winter Sports School after also attending Treasure Mountain Jr. High, Ecker Hill Middle School, and Jeremy Ranch Elementary. She received the second place medal in 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the Youth Olympic Games. Her parents will be in Italy to watch her jump. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Josie Johnson (@jumpinjosiej)

Jones, 24, is a current student at the University of North Dakota and alumna of Park City High School. TownLift spoke with her mom at Dozier Field recently from where Jones is a graduate of the Park City High School and her younger also a student-athlete. With grant funding from  the U.S. Department of Defense for collegiate academic research, Jones is doing work in the fields of sports medicine, sports science, and sports engineering, according to her mother. Jones is engaged to an Olympian, USA Luge athlete Sean Hollander, and their wedding date is set for this May. Hollander won the doubles luge World Championships in 2023 after competing doubles luge in the Beijing 2022 Olympics. 

Kevin Bickner, 30, is the U.S. record holder for the longest ski jump in competition. In the last few years, he’s burst out of a self-announced semi-retirement to stay in the sport. Growing up near Chicago, he is affiliated with the Norge Ski Club; however, he’s lived in Park City for half of his life after his family made the move to town. This will be his third Games, having jumped in the PyeongChang 2018 and the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

“This is an extraordinary group of athletes. Every spot on this team reflects years of hard work and sacrifice and being named to Team USA honors their goal of representing the United States on the Olympic stage.” Anders Johnson, three-time Olympian, Park City native, and program director for the Stifel U.S. Ski Jumping Team said in a statement. “They show up every day ready to work, challenge one another, and continue raising the standard. That mindset is exactly what it takes at the Olympic level, and this team is ready. I’m incredibly excited to see what they’re capable of in Val di Fiemme. The potential of this group is limitless. We’re proud to share this milestone with everyone who has supported these athletes on their journey to Milano Cortina.”