The climb of Anna Gibson — the inevitable, accidental U.S. Olympian in ski mountaineering

Brendan Quinn Tue, 10 February 2026 at 10:16 am UTC·9 min read Those who know Anna Gibson desperately want to try to explain Anna Gibson. Unable to draw her as an actual action hero in a comic book, they resort to what feels like hyperbole. David Roche, her coach in an array of running pursuits, says: “In another life, she’d be a professional soccer player or a point guard or racing in the Tour de France or whatever else she wanted, because she’s not only an endurance freak, but she’s just a monstrous athlete.” Matt Chorney, her high school track coach, explains that this has always been clear. “When she was in ninth grade, I said, ‘This girl is going to the Olympics.’”Advertisement...