Olympic medalists Henry Sildaru, Eileen Gu join X Games' Golden State
Estonian freestyle skier and Olympic silver medalist Henry Sildaru was drafted to XC Golden State, where he'll team up with gold medalist Eileen Gu in the new X Games league.
The X Games will consists of three stages this season, with 40 athletes selected for the league's new team format.
Golden State, led by 1998 Olympic moguls gold medalist Jonny Moseley, selected Sildaru in the fourth round of the 2026 winter draft in Los Angeles this week.
Among others, Sildaru will team up with Chinese-American freestyle skiing star and San Francisco native Eileen Gu, who competed against his sister Kelly Sildaru in Milano Cortina. Gu also had a say in assembling the California-based team.
"Being picked 26th out of more than 200 names means a lot," Sildaru wrote on social media, noting that many strong athletes, including multiple X Games winners, were left out of the draft.
Some could still receive invitations to compete individually, he said, but only the 40 team selections will compete in the team event.
Golden State's roster also includes New Zealand's Luca Harrington, Australia's Scotty James, Japan's Mari Fukada and Hiroto Ogiwara, Finland's Anni Karava, Norway's Marcus Kleveland, American Lily Dhawornvej and fellow fourth-round pick Lainey Steen of the U.S.
'Busiest season of my life' ahead
Henry Sildaru will also compete in FIS World Cup events and the world championships this season.
"Now things are gonna get interesting," he said, describing the coming season as likely the busiest of his career. He still has several training camps and final preparations ahead before competition begins.
"Most likely the busiest season of my life and definitely one of the most challenging," he added.
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Editor: Siim Boikov, Aili Vahtla
