Minnesota Olympians Cash In After Big 2026 Games

When it comes to the just-completed 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Minnesota was a major part of Team USA. And we now know just how much money those athletes earned for winning their Olympic medals.

Minnesota Ranks as Top State for Winter Olympic Medals in 2026

It's not news to any of us who call the North Star State home, but when it comes to winter sports, athletes from Minnesota are pretty darn good, don'tcha know! And that's not just bragging, that's a fact. At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, Team USA had its footing rooted squarely here in the Bold North.

And that's been the case for quite a while. The Action Network published a story that ranked each state based on its Winter Olympians per capita and medal output, and they found that Minnesota ranked #2 for overall Winter Olympic contributions.

How Much Money Team USA Paid Minnesota Olympians in 2026

And that trend continued this year. Overall, Minnesota Olympians took home the most medals of any state.  But did you know that the United States government is once again paying those hard-working Minnesota athletes for their Olympic medals?

According to Forbes, the U.S. will pay its 85 Team USA medal winners a combined $3,022,500 for their medal-winning efforts in Italy. Forbes said that the U.S. is paying its Olympic athletes $37,500 for a gold medal, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze.

And here are the Minnesota Olympic athletes who'll get a share of that payout:

Minnesota Athletes Who Won Olympic Medals in Italy

Gold Medalists

Team USA Women’s Ice Hockey

• Lee Stecklein
• Taylor Heise
• Kelly Pannek
• Rory Guilday
• Grace Zumwinkle

Team USA Men’s Ice Hockey:

• Brock Faber
• Jake Guentzel
• Jackson LaCombe
• Brock Nelson
• Jake Oettinger

Silver Medalists

Mixed Doubles Curling

• Cory Thiesse

Bronze Medalists

• Jessie Diggins – Women’s 10K Cross-Country Skiing
• Paula Moltzan – Women’s Alpine Combined Skiing

So, shout-out to those incredible athletes for representing Team USA-- and Minnesota-- so valiantly during the Winter Olympics in Italy! Of course, just *making it* to Team USA is an incredible feat, as well, so keep scrolling to check out ALL the athletes with Minnesota connections that were on Team USA this year!