[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 39 (Monday, March 2, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S728-S729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING IDAHO OLYMPIANS
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, with my colleagues Senator Jim Risch,
Representative Mike Simpson, and Representative Russ Fulcher, I
congratulate five Idaho-connected athletes who competed in the 2026
Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. Qualifying for Team USA is an
accomplishment in and of itself, and we commend these five incredible
Idahoans for their hard work and commitment that resulted in them
representing our great State and country on this world stage.
Now three-time Olympian Chase Josey, of Sun Valley, competed in
snowboarding in both the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022, earning
7th place in the snowboard halfpipe, and he earned 6th place in the
snowboard halfpipe in the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018,
before his return to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, where
he earned 11th in the halfpipe. He took 5th in the halfpipe at the 2021
FIS Snowboard World Championships, and most recently 12th in this
competition in 2025. Team USA notes that Chase's father Bill taught him
to snowboard at age 5
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on the slopes of Sun Valley. He has since been a strong presence in
competitive snowboarding.
Five-time Olympic medalist Hilary Knight, of Sun Valley, has become a
mainstay on the U.S. women's hockey team. She brought home one gold and
three silver medals in four Olympics prior to the 2026 competitions,
where she again helped secure Team USA's gold-medal win. Hilary Knight
served as captain of the team and is the new American point and goal-
scoring leader for Olympic women's ice hockey. She earned a silver
medal in the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022, following her
earning a gold medal in the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in
2018, a silver medal in the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014, and
a silver medal in the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010. She
has had 15 years of participation with the U.S. Women's National Team,
helping to earn 10 gold and 5 silver medals in the Women's World
Championships. Given her legendary career and leadership that has
inspired so many in Idaho and across the globe, her selection to serve
as a flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics
in Milano-Cortina was a well-deserved honor.
Ryder Sarchett, of Ketchum, competed in alpine skiing in his first
Olympic Games, earning 25th in the men's giant slalom at the 2026
Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. Ryder, who began skiing at age 2 and
ski racing at age 10, earned 10th at the World Cup giant slalom in Val
d'Isere, France, in December 2025. This followed him achieving gold in
the men's giant slalom at the 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World
Championships in Portes du Soleil, France, with Team USA noting,
``Sarchett became the first American to win the junior world
championships giant slalom title since River Radamus claimed gold in
2019 . . .''. He has skied for the University of Colorado Boulder,
winning the men's giant slalom at the Utah Invitational and placing 8th
in slalom at the NCAA championships, helping his team win the team
title by 2 points.
The 2026 Winter Olympics were also the first Olympic Games for
Samantha ``Sammy'' Smith, who grew up splitting time between Boise and
Sun Valley. She competed in cross-country skiing, earning 19th in
sprint classic style in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
Team USA notes that Sammy made her World Cup debut in Norway in March
2023 as the youngest woman in the field by 2 years. She then went on to
earn a silver medal in the freestyle sprint at the 2024 FIS Ski Junior
World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. Sammy earned multiple top 30
FIS World Cup finishes and the U.S. Nordic Olympic Women Gold Rush
Award for her grit and grace beyond race results. She also won the U.S.
national championship in the classic sprint in January 2025. In
addition to skiing, she is a division I soccer player for Stanford
University. Her many soccer achievements include her serving as a
captain of the U.S. team at the 2023 Pan American Games, where her team
earned bronze.
Another first-time Olympian John Steel Hagenbuch, of Ketchum,
competed in cross-country skiing for Team USA. He earned 14th in the
men's 10-kilometer interval start free and contributed to his team's
6th place finish in the 4x7.5-kilometer relay. Team USA notes, ``John
Steel Hagenbuch has established himself as one of the most decorated
collegiate cross-country skiers in recent history while simultaneously
competing at the international level.'' His many successes as a skier
for Dartmouth include his two-time NCAA championships in the 7.5-
kilometer classic, earning United States Collegiate Ski Coaches
Association Men's Nordic National Skier of the Year honors, and
numerous Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association championships. He also
earned bronze in February 2024 in the skate sprint at the U23 FIS
Cross-Country Ski World Championships in Planica, Slovenia.
The Idaho Olympians we are honoring and their teammates often
overcome significant injuries and other setbacks to continue showing up
day in and day out to prepare, improve, and prevail. They are
extraordinary examples of consistency. They make the choice over-and-
over-again not to push snooze on their dreams but get up and keep
moving forward. We commend them for their hard work and thank them for
their representation of our great State and Nation in the 2026 Winter
Olympics in Milano-Cortina. Congratulations, Olympians.
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