With the class of 2022, Steamboat Springs has 100 Olympic athletes

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With the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Steamboat Springs has passed the milestone of 100 Olympians linked to the Colorado mountain town.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — It all started with ski jumper John Steele. He became Steamboat Springs’ first Olympian when he represented the United States at the Lake Placid Games in 1932.

Fast forward to 2022, and fellow ski jumper Decker Dean – dubbed the “flying machine” – has become the 100th Olympian from the Colorado mountain town. No American city has more Olympic athletes.

Dean is one of 13 athletes with ties to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club who represented the United States and other countries at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“It’s a dream of a lot of kids,” said Sarah Floyd, general manager of the Winter Sports Club. “We’re at Olympian Hall. A lot of kids come in and watch it, and they light a fire, a spark.”

Olympian Hall features 100 flags with the names of the club’s Olympians. Sometimes athletes stop to see their names, or future Olympians dream of going to the Games and hanging their own flag on the wall.

To be eligible, an Olympian must have trained or worked at the Winter Sports Club, lived in Steamboat during their Olympic career, made Steamboat Springs their home for more than five years, or currently live in Routt County.

> Click here for a full list of Steamboat Springs 100.

Among the class of 2022 is Jaelin Kauf, a freestyle skier who won a silver medal in moguls.

RELATED: Jaelin Kauf on His Silver Medal: ‘I’m Floating on Cloud Nine’

Besides Dean and Kauf, the other Olympians on Team USA are Robby Burns (snowboard), Mick Dierdorff (snowboard), Taylor Fletcher (Nordic combined), Olivia Giaccio (freestyle skiing), Taylor Gold (snowboard), Jasper Good (combined Nordic) and Cody Winters (snowboard).

Next come the athletes representing other countries: Belle Brockhoff (Australia), Jaryyd Hughes (Australia), Vic Wild (Russia) and Ester Ledecka (Czech).

RELATED: Team USA’s first two medalists come from Colorado

RELATED: Here Are The Colorado Athletes Going To The Winter Olympics

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