The reigning world champion from Park City already has been one of the most dramatic stories of the Olympics, racing to recover from a serious knee injury in time to compete in Sochi. She returned to jumping on snow barely three weeks before the Games, and hasn’t competed all season. If she has indeed returned to form, it will be a battle for gold between her and rival Sara Takanashi of Japan.
Twitter: @schendrickson
Lindsey Van
Arguably the most important woman in the sport after her pioneering effort to get women’s ski jumping into the Olympics, the Park City native is a contender to win a medal and a place in history. Though she’s clearly past her prime with no World Cup podiums in two years, she is a former world champion who has finished as high as fifth this season, in spite of a nagging back problem. Website
Twitter: @LindseyVan
Jessica Jerome
The Park City native was the first American woman to qualify for the Olympics in ski jumping, when she won a trials event at the Utah Olympic Park last month. She also was a driving force in getting her sport admitted to the Olympics in the first place, though winning a medal in Sochi would be a tall order. She has reached the podium only once in nearly three dozen World Cup starts.
Twitter: @JessicaJerome
Anders Johnson
Already, Johnson is making his third Olympic appearance, having debuted in 2006 as a 16-year-old and reached the 2010 Olympics just months after a serious knee injury. Though he won’t medal, the Park City native could enjoy his best experience, having recently finished second at a U.S. trials event. Johnson was 49th in the individual normal hill event in 2010, and finished 14th and 11th in the team event in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
Twitter: @FlyingAJ
Photos: The Salt Lake Tribune, USSA, Associated Press