Minnesota's 44 Olympians: How they're doing

There are 44 athletes with Minnesota ties competing at the Sochi Olympics. We have one biathlete and one luger, two speed skaters, six skiers, eight curlers and 26 hockey players. We're tracking the athletes and the team as the games progress.

• Seeing Sochi: Our favorite photos of Minnesota Olympians in action

BIATHLON

Leif Nordgren, 24, grew up in Marine on St. Croix and graduated from Forest Lake High School. This will be his first appearance in the Olympics. He's considered a rising star on Team USA.

UPDATE (Feb. 13): So far, Nordgren placed 53rd in the 12.5 km pursuit, 45th in the 10 km sprint and 83rd in the 20 km.

CURLING

Jeff Isaacson grew up and lives in Virginia, Minn.; attended Bemidji State University; teaches at Gilbert (Minn.) Junior High School.

John Landsteiner was born and raised in Mapleton, Minn., now lives in Duluth; attended University of Minnesota-Duluth .

Natalie Nicholson was born and currently lives in Bemidji, Minn.

Tabitha Peterson was born in Burnsville, lives in Eagan and is going to grad school at the University of Minnesota.

Allison Pottinger grew up in Canada and moved to Appleton, Wis., when she was 18; lives now in Eden Prairie and works at General Mills.

Jessica Schultz was born in Alaska; moved to Minnesota at age 18 to get more serious about curling; attended Lake Superior College in Duluth; lives in Richfield.

John Shuster is from Chisholm, Minn.; studied at University of Minnesota-Duluth; lives in Duluth.

Jared Zezel grew up in Hibbing, Minn.; student at Bemidji State University.

Learn more:
• 'Regular guys' from northern Minnesota hope for curling gold in Sochi.

UPDATE (Feb. 19): The men's curling team was eliminated after finishing ninth in the round robin tournament, having lost to Norway, China, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland, and won against Denmark and Germany. The women's team was eliminated after finishing last in the round robin tournament. They beat Japan and lost to Switzerland, Russia, Great Britain, China, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and South Korea.

HOCKEY

David Backes: Born in Minneapolis; played for Spring Lake Park High School and Minnesota State University-Mankato; currently captain for the St. Louis Blues.

Megan Bozek: Grew up in Illinois; played for the University of Minnesota.

Julie Chu: Played professionally with the Minnesota Whitecaps

UPDATE (Feb. 16): Julie Chu's injury isn't serious enough to keep her out of the U.S. women's hockey team's Olympic semifinal against Switzerland. Chu was injured in practice on Saturday. Her coach said she'll be fine and ready for the game on Monday.

Brianna Decker: Grew up in Wisconsin; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's High School in Faribault, Minn.

Justin Faulk: Born and raised in South St. Paul; played for University of Minnesota-Duluth; currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mikael Granlund: Plays for the Minnesota Wild; competing for Team Finland in the Olympics.

Mira Jalosuo: Played for the University of Minnesota; competing for Finland in the Olympics.

Amanda Kessel: From Madison, Wis.; attended Shattuck-St. Mary's; plays for the University of Minnesota.

Phil Kessel: From Madison, Wis.; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's and the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mikko Koivu: Plays for the Minnesota Wild; competing for Team Finland in the Olympics.

UPDATE (Feb. 7): Koivu withdrew today, saying he is not healthy enough to play at the level that he wants to.

Jocelyne Lamoureux: Played for Shattuck-St. Mary's in high school, played for the University of Minnesota before transferring to University of North Dakota.

Monique Lamoureux: Jocelyne's twin; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's and the University of Minnesota before transferring to University of North Dakota.

Paul Martin: Born and raised in Elk River; played for the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Gigi Marvin: Born and raised in Warroad, Minn.; played for the University of Minnesota and professionally for Minnesota Whitecaps.

Ryan McDonagh: Born and raised in St. Paul; played for Cretin-Derham Hall; currently plays for the New York Rangers.

Nino Niederreiter: Plays for the Minnesota Wild; competing for Team Switzerland in the Olympics.

T.J. Oshie: Played for Warroad, Minn., High School; currently plays for the St. Louis Blues.

Zach Parise: Born in Minneapolis; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's; currently plays for the Wild and is captain of Team USA.

Noora Raty: Played for the University of Minnesota; competing for Team Finland in the Olympics.

UPDATE (Feb. 15): Raty, who went 41-0-0 to lead the University of Minnesota to its second straight national championship last year, made 28 saves for Finland on Saturday, Feb. 15, but it wasn't enough to prevent Sweden's 4-2 upset win in the women's hockey playoff

Molly Schaus: Lived in Minnesota until second grade.

Anne Schleper: Born and raised in St. Cloud; played for the University of Minnesota.

Lee Stecklein: Born and raised in Roseville; plays for the University of Minnesota.

Derek Stepan: Born in Hastings; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's in high school; currently plays for the New York Rangers.

Ryan Suter: Born in Wisconsin; plays for the Minnesota Wild.

Thomas Vanek: Played for the University of Minnesota and spends summers in Stillwater; currently plays for the New York Islanders; competing for Team Austria.

Blake Wheeler: Born in Plymouth, grew up in Robbinsdale; played for the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets.

UPDATE (Feb. 19): The women's hockey team defeated Finland 3-1 (with assists from Bozek and Schleper) and Switzerland 9-0 (M. Lamoureux and Kessel both scored 2 goals; Decker scored 1; Bozek, Chu, Decker, J. Lamoureux, Kessel and Stecklein all had assists; and Schaus had 10 saves). They lost to Canada 3-2 (Schleper had a goal and an assist; Decker and J. Lamoureux also had assists).

The women's team beat Sweden 6-1 in the semifinals, with goals by M. Lamoureux, Decker, Kessel and Bozek, and assists from Decker, J. Lamoureux, Kessel, Bozek and Marvin.

The men's team beat Slovakia 7-1 (Backes and Kessel both scored goals; Kessel had two assists as did Oshie) and beat Russia in a shoot-out 3-2, led by Oshie, with an assist from Kessel. Slovakia lost to the US 5-1 (Kessel had three goals, McDonagh and Backes each had one, with assists from Oshie and Wheeler).

The men's team beat the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals 5-2, with goals from Parise, Backes and Kessel, and assists from Backes, Suter and McDonagh.

LUGE

Christian Niccum was born in Minneapolis and lives in Washington state
UPDATE (Feb. 13): Niccum came in 11th in the doubles luge. The USA relay team (which Niccum was a part of) came in 6th.

SKATING

Maria Lamb was born in St. Paul and grew up in River Falls, Wis.; competing in speed skating.

Anna Ringsred was born and raised in Duluth; competing in speed skating.

UPDATE (Feb. 19): Ringsred finished 26th in the 3000 m. Lamb finished 16th in the 5000 m.

SKIING

David Chodounsky was born in St. Paul and moved to Colorado at age 11; competing in Alpine skiing.

Jessie Diggins grew up in Afton; competing in cross-country skiing (More: Sochi next stop for Afton ski phenom Jessie Diggins).

UPDATE (Feb. 15): Diggins finished 8th in the skiathlon and 13th in sprint. Diggins and her teammates Kikkan Randall, of Anchorage, Alaska, Sadie Bjornsen, of Winthrop, Wash., and Liz Stephen, of East Montpelier, Vt., placed 9th in the Women's 4X5km Relay with a time of 55:33.4.

Brian Gregg lives in Minneapolis; competing in cross-country skiing
UPDATE (Feb. 14): Gregg finished 47th in the skiathlon and 47th in the 15 km.

Keri Herman was born and raised in Bloomington;competing in slopestyle skiing.

UPDATE (Feb. 11): Herman finished 10th in the slopestyle finals.

Torin Koos was born in Minneapolis; grew up in Washington state; competing in cross-country skiing
UPDATE (Feb. 11): Koos finished 37th in the sprint.

Find more: Your guide to the 2014 Winter Olympics