Jake Adicoff competes alongside his guide Sam Wood in the 10 kilometer Open Cross Country Relay at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships on January 23, 2022 in Lillehammer, Norway.
She led all Americans in Lillehammer in winning three world titles, including in the two biathlon competitions she entered.
“I would say the World Championship was pretty competitive in terms of who was on the podium,” Gretsch told TeamUSA.org in January. “It’s an exciting prospect for the Games.”
Meanwhile, Dan Cnossen and Jake Adicoff could add to the medals they won four years ago in PyeongChang. Cnossen, a former Navy SEAL, won one gold, four silver and one bronze in South Korea.
Adicoff is one of Team USA’s most intriguing stories after retiring from para-Nordic skiing after winning a silver medal in cross-country skiing in 2018.
The visually impaired skier decided to return to sport during the coronavirus pandemic, and he qualified for his second Paralympic Games alongside his guide and close friend Sam Wood. He said he hopes to win several medals and at least a gold medal in Beijing.
“I didn’t want to go to Beijing for the trip. I’ve had the experience before, and it’s phenomenal and a lot of fun,” Adicoff said. “…I come in with very clear performance targets that are very, very high.”
Meanwhile, six-time Paralympian Aaron Pike is hoping for his first podium finish after coming close in Nordic skiing and the marathon over the past few years.
Rounding out the USA team’s Nordic skiers are a mix of returning Paralympians (Grace Miller and Ruslan Reiter), a summer Paralympian in Dani Aravich (athletics) making her Winter Games debut, and newcomers like Nelson, Martin and Peterson.
Not all Americans come into the Games with a winning or losing mindset.
“My goal is to have fun. There (is) no expectation in that, and you know, I’ve never been to China either,” said Nelson, who will celebrate his 18th birthday in Beijing on March 5. “So it’s gonna be cool just to see how it is over there.”
“I just think it’s going to be a really cool experience, and I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, I want a gold medal’ or anything crazy like that just yet.”
Peterson, a 19-year-old sophomore at St. Lawrence University, was the last member named to Team USA. In fact, she’s pretty new to adaptive sports. She raced just one World Cup event this season before heading to Lillehammer for the World Championships, where she made an impression by winning two silver medals and a bronze.
Peterson needed a special invitation from World Para Nordic Skiing and the International Paralympic Committee to compete in Beijing. Like her new teammates, she is eager to race.
“I just want to show up and have fun and ski fast and get this amazing experience,” Peterson said. “And I hope that will be reflected in the results. But whatever happens, it will be just amazing to be there.
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