When events like snowboarding and skateboarding were added to the Olympic program, action sports athletes with success at the X Games could compete for Olympic gold.
Many of the world's top athletes in action sports have seamlessly transitioned from the X Games podium to the Olympic stage. In celebration of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, here is a look at some of the most notable athletes who have won both Winter X Games and Winter Olympic medals since the first Winter X Games competition in 1997.
Jamie Anderson, snowboarding
A South Lake Tahoe, California, native, Anderson won the gold medal in the inaugural women's slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She won it again at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, making her the first women's snowboarder to win more than one Olympic gold medal. Anderson also has 21 Winter X Games medals in her collection, including seven slopestyle golds, making her the most decorated woman in X Games history.
Eileen Gu, freestyle skiing
Born in San Francisco to an American father and a mother who is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, Gu has competed for China in halfpipe, slopestyle and big air events since 2019. At 18 years old, Gu became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe and a silver medal in slopestyle at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She was the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics. Gu has also won multiple Winter X Games gold medals in slopestyle, big air and knuckle huck.
Alex Hall, freestyle skiing
From Fairbanks, Alaska, Hall became an Olympic slopestyle champion at the 2022 Winter Games. He has also won 12 Winter X Games medals and is the first male skier to medal in three disciplines at a single Winter X Games.
Ayumu Hirano, snowboarding
The Japanese standout became the youngest medalist in X Games history at the time, winning silver in the superpipe in 2013 at the age of 14. Hirano has since added two Winter X Games golds in the superpipe and is an Olympic champion, winning gold in the halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Games. Hirano has a total of three Olympic medals and even competed at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo as a skateboarder.
Lindsey Jacobellis, snowboarding
Jacobellis is the most decorated women's snowboard cross athlete of all time. The Danbury, Connecticut, native has won 10 gold Winter X Games medals in the event and finally captured Olympic gold at the 2022 Winter Games. Jacobellis also won gold, along with teammate Nick Baumgartner, in mixed team snowboard cross in 2022.
Scotty James, snowboarding
James, a four-time Olympian, was the flag bearer for Australia at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he won bronze in the halfpipe. James added a silver medal to his collection at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He also holds 11 Winter X Games medals, including seven superpipe golds.
Chloe Kim, snowboarding
A native of Southern California, Kim became the youngest woman to win Olympic snowboarding gold when she bested the halfpipe field at the 2018 Winter Olympics at 17 years old. She then became the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in halfpipe four years later. Kim is also an eight-time Winter X Games gold medalist and achieved the first-ever Grand Slam in women's halfpipe, winning the event at the Youth Olympics, World Championships, Winter Olympics and Winter X Games.
Mark McMorris, snowboarding
McMorris has won a record 22 X Games medals, including back-to-back slopestyle golds in 2012 and 2013. The Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, native has also won three Olympic medals, capturing bronze in 2014, 2018 and 2022. McMorris defended his slopestyle gold at the 2023 Winter X Games, breaking a tie with Anderson for the most medals in X Games history.
Shaun White, snowboarding
A multi-time Winter X Games gold medalist and multi-time Olympic champion, White holds the world records for the most X Games gold medals (13) and most Olympic gold medals (three) for a snowboarder. He has two more X Games golds as a skateboarder. The San Diego native showed great promise at an early age as both a skateboarder and snowboarder and became the first person to compete in and win both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports.
David Wise, freestyle skiing
From Reno, Nevada, Wise is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a five-time X Games gold medalist. Wise won three straight X Games superpipe golds from 2012 to 2014. He then became the first Olympic gold medalist in the men's freeski halfpipe event, which debuted at the 2014 Winter Games.
Check out the ESPN Olympics hub page for the latest news, results, medal tracker and more.