In a stunning sporting transition, former university track and field champion Jadin O'Brien has been named to the United States Olympic bobsled team for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, a mere three months after climbing into a sled for the very first time.
From Track Champion to Olympic Hopeful
The 24-year-old athlete was a dominant force in collegiate athletics, winning the NCAA indoor track and field pentathlon national championship for Notre Dame in 2023, 2024, and 2025. As recently as September 2025, she was competing at the U.S. track championships and was initially doubtful when first approached with the idea of trying bobsled.
Her raw power and explosive speed, however, made an immediate impression during preseason training, earning her the final push athlete spot on the women's team announced on Monday 19 January 2026. O'Brien will now have the chance to win an Olympic medal alongside a legend of the sport.
Riding with a Legend
O'Brien's remarkable ascent will see her push the sled for pilot Elana Meyers Taylor, a five-time Olympic medalist. Meyers Taylor, who has medaled in all four of her previous Olympic appearances, is heading to her fifth Games. This powerhouse pairing gives the US a formidable medal contender in the two-woman event.
The six-women US team is packed with experience and reigning champions. Kaillie Humphries Armbruster, a three-time gold medalist competing in her fifth Olympics (for both Canada and the US), will pilot with Jazmine Jones. Kaysha Love, the reigning world champion in monobob, makes her second Olympic trip, her first as a pilot, with push athlete Azaria Hill—herself from a storied Olympic family.
A Team Built on Legacy and Power
"These athletes have earned their place through their incredible effort, talent, and perseverance," stated USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire upon the team's selection.
The men's team will also see strong representation, with two pilots qualified. Frank Del Duca will drive USA-1, racing in his family's homeland of Italy, with a rotation of push athletes. Kris Horn is the other selected men's pilot.
For Jadin O'Brien, the journey from the track to the icy chute of the bobsled run has been breathtakingly fast. From initial skepticism to a confirmed Olympian with a genuine shot at the podium, her story is one of the most compelling narratives heading into the Winter Games next month.
