Sydney
Peterson
Sydney Peterson is a U.S. Para Nordic skier pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Utah. She won three golds and a silver at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and has seven Paralympic medals, four of them gold. She is on the A team of the 2026-27 U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team.
Who is Sydney Peterson?
Sydney Peterson from Lake Elmo, Minnesota competes in Para Nordic skiing (standing) for the U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team. Seven Paralympic medals (four gold); Milano Cortina 2026: gold in the 10km classic, 20km free and mixed relay, silver in the 1km sprint classic
A neuroscience PhD student with seven Paralympic medals
Peterson is from Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and graduated from Stillwater Area High School. She came to the University of Utah for a doctoral program in neuroscience after studying neuroscience at St. Lawrence University, where she also skied. A U.S. Paralympics feature in February 2026 described her working as a research lab assistant, with an interest in research on rare genetic disorders. U.S. Ski & Snowboard lists her club as Team Soldier Hollow.
She skis in the standing class, classified LW9 by Team USA, which describes her condition as primary dystonia, causing involuntary muscle contractions and chronic pain in her left arm and leg. The University of Utah reported that she was diagnosed at 19 and races with a brace on her left side and one pole. U.S. Ski & Snowboard says she had a deep-brain stimulation operation in 2023.
Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026
At her first Paralympics, in Beijing in 2022, she won silver in the 15km classic, bronze in the sprint free and gold in the mixed relay. St. Lawrence University said her silver was the first Paralympic medal won by a U.S. woman in the standing classes in the history of the U.S. Paralympic Nordic team.
Milano Cortina 2026 was bigger. In Tesero she won silver in the 1km sprint classic on March 10, her first individual Paralympic gold in the 10km classic on March 11 (29:49.2, 2.7 seconds ahead of Norway's Vilde Nilsen), gold again in the mixed relay on March 14 and gold in the 20km free on March 15. Read the full profile story.
World Cup and World Championships
She has seven World Championship medals by Team USA's count and three World Cup victories by U.S. Ski & Snowboard's, including two at Jakuszyce, Poland, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2026. FIS reported she reached the podium in every World Cup start that season. U.S. Ski & Snowboard named her to the A team of the 2026-27 U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team on Oct. 10, 2026. She is one of the Utah athletes followed on the Utah 2034 Olympics hub.
At a glance
Event
Para Nordic skiing (standing)
Hometown
Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Feature requests
open
Key achievements
- Seven-time Paralympic medalist (four gold, two silver, one bronze), per Team USA
- Milano Cortina 2026: gold in the 10km classic standing, the 20km free standing and the mixed relay; silver in the 1km sprint classic standing
- Beijing 2022: gold in the mixed relay, silver in the 15km classic standing, bronze in the sprint free standing
- First Paralympic medal by a U.S. woman in the standing classes in U.S. Paralympic Nordic history (2022), per St. Lawrence University
- Seven World Championship medals (three silver, four bronze), per Team USA
- Three career World Cup victories per U.S. Ski & Snowboard, two of them at Jakuszyce in 2026; on the podium in every 2025-26 World Cup start, per FIS
- Named to the 2026-27 U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team A team (Oct. 10, 2026)
Official sources
This athlete page stays public because the team, image, and supporting facts can be checked quickly.
Photo: Mark Reis, USOPC
- U.S. Ski & Snowboard: 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team announced (Oct. 10, 2026)usskiandsnowboard.org
- U.S. Ski & Snowboard: Sydney Peterson athlete pageusskiandsnowboard.org
- Team USA: Sydney Peterson profileteamusa.com
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Adicoff, Masters and Peterson take home golds in the 10km (March 11, 2026)usparanordic.org
- IPC: Milano Cortina 2026, Adicoff clean sweep (March 15, 2026)paralympic.org
Show all 13 sourcesShow fewer sources
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Peterson claims silver in the cross-country sprint (March 10, 2026)usparanordic.org
- Team USA: Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics highlights, March 14 and March 15teamusa.com
- St. Lawrence University: Bronze, silver, gold and gold (May 3, 2022)stlawu.edu
- FIS: Jakuszyce World Cup finale (Feb. 2, 2026)fis-ski.com
- University of Utah: Chasing dreams: Paralympian excels on snow and in classroom (Feb. 25, 2026)attheu.utah.edu
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Sydney Peterson has the perfect mentor (Feb. 26, 2026)usparanordic.org
- St. Lawrence Athletics: Sydney Peterson roster biosaintsathletics.com
- Team USA on Flickr: Sydney Peterson, Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games (March 4, 2026)flickr.com
What each source confirms
- U.S. Ski & Snowboard: 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team announced (Oct. 10, 2026)
- Read 2026-10-31 in a browser: A Team, Women - Standing: 'Sydney Peterson (Lake Elmo, MN; Team Soldier Hollow; St. Lawrence University, University of Utah; 2/17/2002)'.
- U.S. Ski & Snowboard: Sydney Peterson athlete page
- Read 2026-10-31 in a browser: Para Nordic A; seven-time Paralympic medalist; three World Cup victories; pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Utah; primary dystonia affecting her left arm and leg; 2023 deep-brain stimulation operation.
- Team USA: Sydney Peterson profile
- Read 2026-10-31: seven Paralympic medals event by event (2022: 15km classic silver, sprint free bronze, mixed relay gold; 2026: 1km sprint classic silver, 10km classic gold, mixed relay gold, 20km free gold); classification LW9; primary dystonia, 'involuntary muscle contractions and chronic pain' in her left arm and leg; World Championships 3 silver, 4 bronze; hometown Lake Elmo, Minn.
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Adicoff, Masters and Peterson take home golds in the 10km (March 11, 2026)
- 10km classic standing gold, 29:49.2, 2.7 seconds ahead of Vilde Nilsen; her first individual Paralympic gold.
- IPC: Milano Cortina 2026, Adicoff clean sweep (March 15, 2026)
- Para cross-country at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium; Peterson's 20km free standing gold; four medals from six events.
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Peterson claims silver in the cross-country sprint (March 10, 2026)
- Silver, 1km sprint classic standing, 3:35.5.
- Team USA: Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics highlights, March 14 and March 15
- March 15: gold in the 20km free standing. March 14 page (highlights/3-14): mixed relay gold.
- St. Lawrence University: Bronze, silver, gold and gold (May 3, 2022)
- Her 2022 silver was 'the first Paralympic medal won by a U.S. woman in the standing LW or B classes in the history of the U.S. Paralympic Nordic skiing team'; neuroscience major.
- FIS: Jakuszyce World Cup finale (Feb. 2, 2026)
- Wins in the standing interval start (Jan. 31) and mass start (Feb. 1, 2026) at Jakuszyce; on the podium in each of her World Cup starts that season.
- University of Utah: Chasing dreams: Paralympian excels on snow and in classroom (Feb. 25, 2026)
- Doctoral program in neuroscience at the U; diagnosed with dystonia at 19; brace on her left side, skis with one pole. Not used for the medal count (the page was updated during the Games).
- U.S. Paralympics Nordic: Sydney Peterson has the perfect mentor (Feb. 26, 2026)
- Works as a research lab assistant; interest in research on rare genetic disorders.
- St. Lawrence Athletics: Sydney Peterson roster bio
- Stillwater Area High School.
- Team USA on Flickr: Sydney Peterson, Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games (March 4, 2026)
- Source of the photo. Caption: 'Sydney Peterson at the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games March 4, 2026 at the Athlete Village in Predazzo, Italy. Photo by Mark Reis, USOPC.' Team USA's official account; original file downloaded 2026-10-31 (IPTC credit Mark Reis; no agency strings).
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