JANUARY 27, 2026 – The United States Army World Class Athlete Program will be well-represented in the 2026 Winter Olympics from Feb. 6-22 in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Six Soldier-Athletes – Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin, Spc. Sean Doherty, Sgt. Frank Del Duca, Spc. Azaria Hill, Sgt. Ben Loomis, and Pvt. Spencer Howe — will go for the gold in the biathlon, bobsled, Nordic combined, and pair figure skating.
Cpl. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor and Spc. Dana Kellogg were named alternates in the bobsled and luge doubles, respectively, and Lt. Col. Chris Fogt, Lt. Col. Garrett Hines, and Sgt.1st Class Shauna Rohbock will coach Team USA in the bobsled.
The biathletes will compete in the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena; the bobsledders will compete at the Cortina Sliding Centre; Nordic Combined will compete at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium and Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium; and figure skating will compete at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Here is a closer look:
Biathlon
Irwin skied and shot her way to a seventh-place finish – the highest U.S. finish in biathlon history – in the women’s 15-kilometer individual biathlon during the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She finished in 44 minutes, 44.1 seconds and hit 19 of 20 targets.
And Irwin is aiming higher in her second Olympics. She has a chance to compete in as many as six events – the mixed relay, individual, sprint, pursuit, women’s relay and mass start. She must qualify for the pursuit and mass start.
“If you look at my last Olympics, I was unranked, and if I had shot 20 of 20, I would have medaled,” said Irwin, a member of the Vermont National Guard whose military occupation specialty is 42A, human resource specialist.
“So, the chances are there. It depends on shooting and skiing that day — and on what everyone else does.” Irwin enlisted in the Army in 2019 and competed for the National Guard Biathlon Team in the 2022 Games before joining WCAP in 2023. While she speaks fondly about her time with the National Guard Biathlon Team, the consistency of support from WCAP has been a difference-maker in her athletic and military career.
“With WCAP, I have full-time orders, full-time benefits, and direct access to resources such as nutritional support,” Irwin said. “Being both a platoon sergeant and an athlete have pushed me to learn a lot, from managing my time, mentoring teammates, handling temporary duty paperwork, and helping athletes travel internationally. My guard unit will probably put me somewhere in the headquarters because I’ll know how to do a lot of random but useful things.”
Doherty, also a member of the Vermont National Guard, joins an elite club by qualifying for his fourth Olympic team. He qualified for the 2014 Sochi Olympics as an 18-year-old and enlisted in the Army in 2018, where he’s a 12W, carpentry and masonry specialist. Now 30, he said he still tries to keep that 18-year-old mindset.
“That attitude was powerful and fun, and I try to keep some of that alive,” said Doherty, who joined WCAP after the 2022 Beijing Games. “I enjoy talking with younger teammates and sharing experiences.”
And the experiences he’s had with WCAP continue to shape his athletic and military career.
“WCAP supports you not just as an athlete, but as a person and a Soldier,” Doherty said. “They care about my athletic performance, but they also care about my development as a whole person, and I’m grateful for that. The options and stability are valuable and adds another dimension to my life and career.”
Like Irwin, Doherty could compete in six events.
Bobsled
Del Duca, a pilot for the two-man and four-man teams, joined WCAP shortly after enlisting in the Army in 2019, and it has been critical in his development not just as a Soldier-Athlete, but also as a person.
“I’ve learned so much about leadership, team building, accountability, setting standards, scheduling, punctuality — big things and small things that matter when you’re part of a group working toward a common goal,” said Del Duca, a former sprinter at the University of Maine who competed in the 2022 Beijing Games. “It’s made me a more complete Soldier, athlete, father, and husband, and I’m performing at a higher level because of the skills and examples I’ve gained.”
Del Duca and his brakeman, Josh Williamson, are ranked fourth in the world in the two-man bobsled going into the 2026 Games. While the United States has been behind the German racers, Del Duca is excited and motivated.
“When the cameras and lights are on, I find another gear,” said Del Duca, an 11B, Infantryman. “I push better and focus harder because the competition demands it. There are so many great teams, and everyone has to have their best day.”
Hill continues a family tradition of Olympians. Her father, former professional boxer Virgil Hill, was a silver medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and her mother, sprinter Denean Howard-Hill, won a gold medal in 1984 and silver medals in 1988 and 1992 as a member of the 1,600-relay team.
Hill was a sprinter in college at Long Beach State and UNLV before enlisting in the Army in 2024 and becoming one of Team USA bobsled’s top brakewomen for the two-woman bobsled.
“My parents are super excited to experience this from the other side,” said Hill, whose an 88M, motor transport operator. “They’re happy. Making the team is the result of all the hard work I’ve put in with my coaches.”
The coaches – Fogt, Hines, and Rohbock – have been essential in perfecting technique and developing a proper mindset, Hill said.
“We do constant video review, analyze numbers and data — and the data doesn’t lie,” Hill said. “Their experience as former competitors has been extremely helpful.”
The resources WCAP provides have benefited Hill’s athletic and professional career.
“It provides resources, such as going back to school to obtain my master’s and helping to become an officer,” she said. “We work on all aspects of ourselves, not just athletics. They make sure we stay on top of classes and training, even overseas. They push us to grow professionally and athletically.”
Nordic Combined
Loomis, a member of the Utah National Guard competing in his third Olympics, enlisted in the Army in 2019 with the sole intention of joining WCAP, but his attitude and desire to serve has changed significantly.
“It has been such as positive experience – the National Guard, WCAP, and the Army as a whole,” said Loomis, a motor transport operator. “Now I want to stay in after my athletic career, maybe even for a full career. My reasons for joining and my reasons for staying are completely different now.”
As a Nordic Combined athlete, Loomis is either flying as a ski jumper or he’s racing on the ground as a cross-country skier. Ski jumping is quick, powerful and detail-based, while cross-country skiing requires endurance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Finding the perfect balance to excel in both disciplines is a lifelong challenge, and that’s what makes it exciting for Loomis.
More importantly, the training to excel in both carries over to his military duties.
“Being an athlete and a Soldier go hand in hand,” Loomis said. “What I’ve learned in the military has helped my athletic career, and my athletic background has helped me as a Soldier. WCAP provides incredible resources — nutrition, mental health support, travel funding, and a full team behind us. These sports can be financially difficult, so WCAP removes a lot of that burden and allows me to focus on competing while continuing my military career.”
Pairs Figure Skating Howe, who aspires to be an Army chaplain, saw God working in mysterious ways during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 4-11 in St. Louis.
Howe and his partner, Emily Chan, secured their first Olympic berths despite placing eighth in the short program. Howe said they needed a miracle to qualify for the 2026 Games.
Prayers were answered in the form of a third-place finish in the free skate program.
“The roller coaster of the trials really opened my eyes,” said Howe, motor transport operator. “Looking back at how the competition unfolded and how we were ultimately named to the team, we’re grateful and honored. Now we want to do our best representing the Army and the United States.”
Howe enlisted in the Army in February 2025 and joined WCAP shortly thereafter. Completing basic and advanced individual training interfered skating with Chan, but the training helped shape him, Howe said.
“I learned new skills, and when I returned to the ice in June, I brought those skills with me,” Howe said. “I started looking at skating from a Soldier’s perspective and not just an athlete. Taking on the responsibility to compete at the highest level — not just for Team USA but also for the Army — is a different level of commitment. Working with my partner Emily every day isn’t just a job; it feels like a duty. Approaching training with that mindset has changed how I work and helped me excel.”
The mindset is allowing him to take advantage of the opportunities offered through the Army and WCAP.
“I’ve even started school to continue my education and eventually join the Chaplain Corps,” Howe said. “Once I finish my undergraduate degree, I can join the Chaplain Candidate Program, which will phase me into becoming a chaplain once I finish my master’s of divinity degree.”
Story by Stephen Warns
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)