With the Winter Olympics near, Long Island athletes, from seasoned professionals to rising hopefuls, are gearing up for a chance to represent Team USA, continuing the region’s tradition as a growing pipeline for Olympic talent.
At the center of the current conversation is Charlie McAvoy, Long Beach native and currently Boston Bruins defenseman, who has come out as one of the most recognizable Long Islanders connected to Team USA. This year will be his first Olympic appearance.
”I’m very proud of being from Long Island and the success that we’ve been able to have,” McAvoy told the New York State Amateur Hockey Association.
Born and raised in Long Beach, McAvoys’ path to his career success began here on the local rinks, where his talent stood out early in Long Island’s competitive youth hockey scene. After growing his skillset through the USA hockey national team development program (NTDP), the Long Beach native made his debut during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, resulting in him skipping the AHL after his collegiate season ended. He was then drafted 14th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. To date, McAvoy has played over 500 regular-season games for the Bruins. McAvovy credits a lot of his success to his Long Island roots
Several Long Island native athletes are actively working against the clock to secure their spots in the Olympics across several sports on the roster.
Helaina Rivers, Henniyah Rivers and Henri Rivers IV, the 17-year-old triplets from Long Island, are training as alpine ski racers and aiming to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics representing Jamaica, where their mother is from. After becoming the first African-American triplets in the country to earn the Eagle Scout rank, the Rivers siblings are now setting their sights on a huge career milestone — an Olympic qualification in a sport rarely associated with their home region.
Following the Rivers are Ooana and Gage Brown, the sibling figure skating duo from Port Washington are targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics to represent Team USA. They are former World Junior Champions, taking the win back in 2022.
The pressure is immense, particularly for those athletes balancing professional seasons and continuous Olympic tryouts. Decisions often come down to the smallest margins — a single performance, an injury or even something such as a coach preference can make all the difference, leaving little to no room for error. Being in contention reflects the depth of talent coming out of the Long Island region that is not traditionally associated with winter sports.
The line of Long Island native Winter Olympic athletes stretches back decades and includes some of the most memorable moments in U.S. Olympic history. Sara Hughes, the Oceanside native who won seven gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals throughout her career, captured gold in women’s ice skating during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Hughes entered the competition as an underdog, yet she stunned the country with a near-perfect performance.
In addition to Hughes is another Oceanside native, Devin Marie Logan, who won silver in the women’s slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Long Island has produced numerous Winter Olympians over the years, including hockey players, skiers, and figure skaters who have represented their hometown on several global stages. Each athlete’s journey is different, but many of them credit the same foundation — dedicated coaches working around the clock, and strong local programs that helped pave the way to their career success.
Notable Long Island athletes who have represented Team USA in previous Winter Olympics include former pro hockey player Matthew Gilry of North Bellmore, as well as lugers Matt Mortensen of Huntington Station and Justin Krewson of Eastport.
With the Winter Olympics selections approaching, this current cycle represents a tough but hopeful window for local athletes as the hopefuls anxiously wait for news that could potentially redefine their careers.
