WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States Olympic Committee on Friday announced its 242-member athlete delegation to the PyeongChang Games, saying it is the largest team for any nation in the history of the Winter Olympics.
The team of 107 women and 135 men will compete in all 15 disciplines across seven sports, and in 97 of the 102 medal events, the committee said on its website.
"Once again, Team USA is among the largest teams to compete in the Olympic Winter Games, and we continue to see a spike in excellence from Americans competing in winter sports as the sport program expands to include more opportunities for our athletes," Alan Ashley, U.S. chef de mission and USOC chief of sport performance, was quoted as saying.
"We are primed and ready for another strong showing from our athletes, who have made a long-time commitment to represent us as the best in the U.S. at these Games, and we look forward to cheering for each member of Team USA on the world's greatest stage," he added.
There are three five-time Olympians among the athletes -- snowboarder Kelly Clark, cross-country skier Kikkan Randall and long track speed skater Shani Davis. Davis, according to the committee, is the most decorated athlete on the U.S. roster. He is a two-time champion in the 1,000 meters and a two-time silver medalist in the 1,500m.
The athletes are also the most diverse for a U.S. winter team, with 10 African-Americans, 11 Asian-Americans and the first two openly gay male athletes, Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon, the committee said.
Team USA hopes to win its 100th gold medal and 300th overall medal at the upcoming Games, it added. The U.S. currently has 96 golds and 284 overall.
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