A Juneau-born athlete is headed to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games

A Juneau-born athlete is headed to Italy subsequent month to signify Team USA’s biathlon crew within the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. 

Last month, 24-year-old Maxime Germain made the crew for the occasion that mixes cross-country snowboarding and rifle capturing. 

This week, Germain spoke to KTOO from Germany, the place he’s racing within the Biathlon World Cup. He mentioned he’s very excited to signify Alaska, in addition to the U.S., within the Olympic Winter Games. 

“There are a lot of opportunities, especially (because) our sport has never had a medal,” he mentioned. “As a team, we’re very excited, and I’m very excited to get that opportunity this year.”

Germain was born in Juneau in 2001, however he says his household moved away after a couple of 12 months. Then, after residing in Hawaii and France, he returned to Juneau for one more 12 months to attend kindergarten at Sayéik: Gastineau Community School. 

“I didn’t ski when I was a little kid in Juneau because there was no snow and also I was too young,” he mentioned. “But it made me appreciate the wild as well. I like training in the mountains and open areas like Alaska.”

He spent most of his youth in France, however returned to Alaska when he was a young person, the place he graduated from West Anchorage High School in 2019. During his time in Anchorage, he skilled with the Anchorage Biathlon Club and raced for the APU Nordic Ski Center. 

“Maxime has worked really hard throughout the off season, improving his mental game and bringing an overall level up to the World Cup this year,” mentioned Lowell Bailey, U.S. Biathlon High Performance Director, in a press launch. “This showed right away at the first World Cup in Ostersund, where he proved he can be among the world’s fastest and best biathletes. Maxime will be a great addition to the U.S. Olympic team!”

Germain mentioned he’s grateful for his time in Alaska. He mentioned residing and coaching within the state was pivotal for his profession. He pointed to different profitable skiers which have come out of the state, like Gus Schumacher, Luke Jager and Zanden McMullen.

“The Alaskan community in Nordic is awesome. Like, we’re one of the highest producers of high-end athletes in the country, especially in Nordic,” he mentioned. 

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy start on Feb. 6.