These Team USA athletes are going for the gold — with the full support of their four-legged companions! Aside from earning the coveted title of Winter Olympians, several of these athletes are proud dog and cat parents.
“Let’s go baby!!!!” Nina Dobrev cheered on boyfriend Shaun White in February 2022 via Instagram Story, as she watched him compete in the men’s snowboarding qualifiers alongside her dog, Maverick, and his French Bulldog, Steve. “Steve was stressin’ [over the results.]”
The Air + Style founder, who has been dating the Vampire Diaries alum since 2020, previously told Us Weekly that the duo initially connected because of their shared interests and love of animals.
“I wish I could sum it up into one or two things,” White told Us in January 2022. “It’s such a mix of everything. Like our dogs get along, you know? We have common interests. The way in which we met really kind of strengthened our relationship. And the problems that we do face, they kind of fall away through communication. It’s just been great.”
The California native is not the only Olympian who has a pet companion. Mikaela Shiffrin, for her part, frequently gushes over her cat, Muffin.
“She is [a] fat Tabby cat and does not like strangers,” the alpine skier told NBC in January 2022 before heading off to China for the competition. “She is almost 12 years old and has had some issues with health recently, but she seems to be doing quite well right now. She sleeps all day, and if she isn’t sleeping then she is eating or begging for food. I love her, although I don’t think that feeling is mutual. I really love animals in general, pets can create a bit of a messier lifestyle for sure, but they are so fun and sometimes it is nice to have some company without always feeling like you have to talk to them.”
Snowboarder Chloe Kim, for her part, has even dedicated an Instagram account to her Miniature Australian Shepherd, Reese. The pair also posed together for a magazine cover just after her Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic victory.
“Sports Illustrated cover! THANK YOU @sportsillustrated and @reesetheminiaussie for staying still and being a good girl 
So excited to share this with you guys,” Kim wrote, sharing the twosome’s shared magazine cover via Instagram in February 2018.
Scroll below to meet the cutest pets of Team USA: