Minnesotans to watch in the Winter Olympics

By the numbers: The Team USA roster includes at least 24 Olympians who currently live in Minnesota.

• When you count all athletes with ties to the state, such as those who grew up here or played for local teams, the total grows to 37, per the Star Tribune.

Zoom in: The roster of locals to root for includes some major stars — and podium favorites.

🎿 Afton's Jessie Diggins already has three Olympic medals for cross-country skiing under her snowsuit. She enters her final games as "one of the most physically gifted cross-country skiers in U.S. history," NPR notes.

🏒 The men's hockey team is stacked with Minnesotans, including Jake Oettinger, Jake Guentzel and the Wild's Brock Faber.

• Eight members of the women's squad, including Frost stars Kelly Pannek and Taylor Heise, have ties to the state.

🧹 All three USA curling teams competing are from Minnesota rinks.

• Duluth mixed doubles duo Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin are seen as Team USA's best shot at winning a curling gold, per the Athletic.
• Chaska-based Team Casper, led by Richfield resident Danny Casper, knocked out 2018 Gold medalists Team Shuster to make it to Milano.

🎿 Downhill skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn, who lives in Colorado but was born in St. Paul, will return to the slopes for her fifth Games — even after rupturing her ACL at a recent race.

State of play: The Minnesota contingent includes several locals making their Olympics debut, including:

• Cross-country skier Zak Ketterson (Bloomington)
• Women's biathletes Lucinda Anderson (Golden Valley) and Margie Freed (Apple Valley)
• Snowboarder Iris Pflum (Minneapolis)
• Speedskater Giorgia Birkeland (White Bear Lake)

Zoom out: Another two dozen athletes with Minnesota ties are competing on behalf of other nations, as Mpls St. Paul Magazine notes.

Meet all 30+ athletes via the Star Tribune