Jaelin Kauf, a US moguls skier and Olympic silver medalist from the 2022 Beijing Games, is competing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with her family present, marking a significant improvement from her previous experience where COVID-19 restrictions prevented her family from attending. Kauf's family, including her parents Patti and Scott, both former champions, and her brother Skyler, are supporting her in Italy. Kauf expressed that sharing the Olympic experience with her family is very special, emphasizing the importance of her community behind her. Despite her strong ranking—seventh in singles moguls and first in dual moguls—her performance in the initial qualification round was challenging, with a score of 53.38 placing her 27th out of 29, which means she must compete in additional qualifying rounds to advance. Kauf faced difficulties on her first run, losing control on turns, which impacted her score significantly. She has previously placed seventh in 2018 and won silver in 2022, with dual moguls debuting as a new Olympic event. Her season has been disrupted by cancellations and poor weather, limiting her competition opportunities. Kauf remains a strong contender, with upcoming events in dual moguls and her resilience highlighted by her positive mindset about handling pressure and her focus on performing for herself and her supporters.