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The Winter Olympic Games are here. There are athletes from the Lower Hudson Valley and Mid-Hudson Valley competing in Milan, Italy.
Here's who's competing in the Winter Olympics from the region and some information on each athlete.
Hometown: Briarcliff Manor, New York
Age: 24
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: Casper captained Team Casper to a win over Team Shuster, led by Olympic gold medalist and five-time Olympian John Shuster at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Dec. 11 in Kelowna, British Columbia, to qualify for his first Olympic Games.
What to know about Danny Casper: Casper graduated from Hackley School in Tarrytown in 2019 and the University of Minnesota in 2024. He started curling at Ardsley Curling Club, which welcomed him back in December. Casper's father's late aunt, Carla Casper, competed in curling for the U.S. at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and his uncle, Tom Casper, was U.S. men's curling coach at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Tom Casper lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Casper was diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome in 2024, an autoimmune, nerve-attacking illness that causes muscle weakness, numbness, fatigue and in some cases, paralysis. While not paralyzed, there were times he was unable to walk or to really even use his hands. Casper was off the ice for seven months and it was only this past August that he was able to play full games.
When is curling in the Olympics?: Curling is scheduled for every day of the Olympics, beginning Feb. 4 with mixed doubles curling. The men's tournament, which Casper competes in with Luc Violette, Ben Richardson and Aidan Oldenburg, begins Feb. 11 and runs through the gold medal game on Feb. 21. Women's competition is from Feb. 12-22.
Hometown: Briarcliff Manor, New York
Age: 26
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: The Olympics is the fifth time Frankel's represented the U.S. internationally, first in a Canada-U.S. game and then in the World Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
What to know about Aerin Frankel: Frankel grew up in Briarcliff and attended Horace Greeley High School her freshman year before transferring to Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota. Frankel played college hockey at Northeastern, helping the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Frankel won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2021 as the top player in NCAA Div. I women's ice hockey. She plays for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League.
When is women's ice hockey in the Olympics?: Preliminary games begin in the tournament Feb. 5. The U.S. faces Czechia on Feb. 5. Quarterfinals are Feb. 13. Semifinals are Feb. 16. Medal games are Feb. 19.
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York
Age: 26
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: DeClemente is ranked 15th in the world at 1,500 meters and 21st at 1,000. The U.S. did not hold Olympic Trials for short-track speedskating, but named the team based on World Cup points. He was part of an American mixed relay team that won bronze at a World Cup event during the 2023-24 season. DeClemente was an alternate for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. He was named to the U.S. World Cup team in 2021. He placed sixth in the 5,000 meters in a World Cup event in the Netherlands in 2023. In 2025, he finished 10th in the 1,500 in the same venue.
What to know about Clayton DeClemente: He started speedskating at the Danbury Speedskating Club in Connecticut when he was 11 years old. He competed in the Empire State Winter Games eight times. DeClemente graduated from Arlington High School in Freedom Plains, Dutchess County in 2017.
When is short-track speedskating in the Olympics?: Short-track speedskating begins Feb. 10 and runs through Feb. 20.
Phil Strum is local sports editor for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Learn about 2026 Winter Olympics athletes from Lower Hudson Valley NY
Continue reading...
Here's who's competing in the Winter Olympics from the region and some information on each athlete.
Danny Casper, U.S. curling
Hometown: Briarcliff Manor, New York
Age: 24
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: Casper captained Team Casper to a win over Team Shuster, led by Olympic gold medalist and five-time Olympian John Shuster at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Dec. 11 in Kelowna, British Columbia, to qualify for his first Olympic Games.
What to know about Danny Casper: Casper graduated from Hackley School in Tarrytown in 2019 and the University of Minnesota in 2024. He started curling at Ardsley Curling Club, which welcomed him back in December. Casper's father's late aunt, Carla Casper, competed in curling for the U.S. at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and his uncle, Tom Casper, was U.S. men's curling coach at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Tom Casper lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Casper was diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome in 2024, an autoimmune, nerve-attacking illness that causes muscle weakness, numbness, fatigue and in some cases, paralysis. While not paralyzed, there were times he was unable to walk or to really even use his hands. Casper was off the ice for seven months and it was only this past August that he was able to play full games.
When is curling in the Olympics?: Curling is scheduled for every day of the Olympics, beginning Feb. 4 with mixed doubles curling. The men's tournament, which Casper competes in with Luc Violette, Ben Richardson and Aidan Oldenburg, begins Feb. 11 and runs through the gold medal game on Feb. 21. Women's competition is from Feb. 12-22.
Aerin Frankel, U.S. hockey
Hometown: Briarcliff Manor, New York
Age: 26
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: The Olympics is the fifth time Frankel's represented the U.S. internationally, first in a Canada-U.S. game and then in the World Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
What to know about Aerin Frankel: Frankel grew up in Briarcliff and attended Horace Greeley High School her freshman year before transferring to Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota. Frankel played college hockey at Northeastern, helping the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Frankel won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2021 as the top player in NCAA Div. I women's ice hockey. She plays for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League.
When is women's ice hockey in the Olympics?: Preliminary games begin in the tournament Feb. 5. The U.S. faces Czechia on Feb. 5. Quarterfinals are Feb. 13. Semifinals are Feb. 16. Medal games are Feb. 19.
Clayton DeClemente, U.S. speedskating
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York
Age: 26
Number of Olympics: First Olympics
The path to Milan: DeClemente is ranked 15th in the world at 1,500 meters and 21st at 1,000. The U.S. did not hold Olympic Trials for short-track speedskating, but named the team based on World Cup points. He was part of an American mixed relay team that won bronze at a World Cup event during the 2023-24 season. DeClemente was an alternate for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. He was named to the U.S. World Cup team in 2021. He placed sixth in the 5,000 meters in a World Cup event in the Netherlands in 2023. In 2025, he finished 10th in the 1,500 in the same venue.
What to know about Clayton DeClemente: He started speedskating at the Danbury Speedskating Club in Connecticut when he was 11 years old. He competed in the Empire State Winter Games eight times. DeClemente graduated from Arlington High School in Freedom Plains, Dutchess County in 2017.
When is short-track speedskating in the Olympics?: Short-track speedskating begins Feb. 10 and runs through Feb. 20.
Phil Strum is local sports editor for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Learn about 2026 Winter Olympics athletes from Lower Hudson Valley NY
Continue reading...
