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2018 Winter Olympics: Vermonters In Pyeongchang, South Korea

00000179-c810-d4c2-a579-fdd2fe840003The 2018 Winter Olympics kick off Feb. 8 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and over a dozen Olympians have ties to Vermont, with many more having trained or gone to school here.In fact, Vermont is tied for sixth among states sending the most Olympic athletes in Team USA this year (Colorado takes first, in case you were curious!)Meet The 2018 Vermont OlympiansTo help you keep track of local athletes as they compete in Pyeongchang, we've gathered their bios by team:Alpine Skiing | Biathlon | Bobsleigh & Luge | Cross-Country Skiing | Freestyle Skiing | Ice Hockey | Snowboard We'll be keeping track of the results every weekday morning on the Sports Report and on VPR's Facebook and Twitter accounts.Vermonter Mikaela Shiffrin at last year's Alpine Skiing World Championships. Her first event in Pyeongchang is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12.

Competing In The Olympics Is Basically A Family Tradition For These Vermonters

Vermont Public | By Melody Bodette,

Mitch Wertlieb, Andy Gardiner, Emily Alfin Johnson

Published February 8, 2018 at 12:13 PM EST

Olympian Sophie Caldwell in a photo outdoors with her grandfather John Caldwell. — 2018 Vermont Olympian Sophie Caldwell with her grandfather, 1952 Olympian and U.S. Hall Of Famer John Caldwell in a photo from 2010. The Caldwells aren't the only Vermont family with a long history of competing in the Olympic Games!

You don't have to go far to pass the torch to the next generation of great athletes in Vermont, because in the Green Mountain State, Olympic bloodlines are all in the family.

Susan Dunklee and her dad Stan

Susan Dunklee competing in the biathlon at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. — Susan Dunklee competing at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.

Second-time Olympian Susan Dunklee is headed to South Korea to compete in the biathlon. Her father, Stan Dunklee, was an Olympic cross-country skier, competing in the 1976 and 1980 games.

Stan was inducted into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum's Hall of Fame in 2016.

Stan Dunklee, seen here in an image from his Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum Hall of Fame induction video.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle and his mom Barbara Ann

Ryan Cochran-Siegle is headed to his first Olympics this year — but he has some stiff competition from his own family.

His mother Barbara Ann Cochran has a gold medal in Olympic slalom from the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan.

"I think growing up with that — it has also allowed me to pursue similar goals," Ryan says of his mom's success. "And to believe in myself the same way that my mom was able to believe in [herself]. I've always loved that. The fact that she's been so successful and well-known ... she's kind of paved the way for the rest of us."

We talked to Ryan more about his family history with the Olympic Games: You can catch our full interview here.

A black-and-white photo of Barbara Ann Cochran, Ryan's mom, on the slopes during the 1972 Olympic Games. — Barbara Ann Cochran, Ryan's mom, on the slopes during the 1972 Olympic Games.

Emily Dreissigacker, her sister Hannah and her parents Judy and Dick

Emily Dreissigacker at a competition earlier this year in Germany.

For Emily Dreissigacker, Pyeongchang will be her first Olympics competing in biathlon, but she's well prepared.

Her older sister Hannah Dreissigacker competed in biathlon at the Sochi Olympic Games, her mother Judy Geer was an Olympic rower in 1976 and 1984, and her father Dick Dreissigacker was an Olympic rower in 1972.

Emily Dreissigacker's sister Hannah at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.

Sophie Caldwell, her cousin Patrick Caldwell, their grandfather John and the entire Olympian-filled, Caldwell family

Cousins Sophie and Patrick Caldwell are both competing in cross-country skiing in the 2018 Olympic Games.

Sophie Caldwell and her cousin Patrick Caldwell are both competing in cross-country skiing this year; it is Patrick's first Olympics and Sophie's second.

They're the grandchildren of 1952 Olympian and U.S. Ski Hall of Famer John Caldwell, who was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame last year. John's son Tim also competed in the Olympics as well!

Sophie even weighed in on her Olympian-filled family in an article she wrote for Outside Magazine in 2014.

Sophie Caldwell and her grandfather John Caldwell in 2010. Both family members have participated in Winter Olympics.

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