There will be up to a total of 284 freestyle skiers – 142 male, 142 female – competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. 

Each event has a maximum number of competitors that may participate. Big air and slopestyle are calculated as one event. 

• Ski Cross: 32 male, 32 female athletes
• Moguls: 30 male, 30 female athletes 
• Slopestyle/Big Air: 30 male, 30 female athletes
• Aerials: 25 male, 25 female athletes
• Halfpipe: 25 male, 25 female athletes

Each nation can send up to 30 freestyle skiers, with a maximum of 16 males or 16 females. In the event a nation has qualified at least three athletes in aerials and thus becomes eligible for the mixed team event, it's entitled to the full 32 athletes. A nation may have no more than four athletes compete in any one event.

All participating athletes must have been born before Jan. 1, 2007, and an additional year is required for ski cross, which necessitates a birthday before Jan. 1, 2006.

The qualification period was from July 1, 2019, through Jan. 16, 2022, for halfpipe, slopestyle and big air, and from July 1, 2020, through Jan. 16, 2022, for aerials, moguls and ski cross.

Olympic quota spots are awarded to countries, rather than athletes. The FIS points list from the qualification period will be the basis for determining which nations are allocated an Olympic quota spot. China, the Olympic host country, will be automatically granted one quota place in each event. 

Countries that earn quota spots may then decide which athletes to allocate those spots to. Athletes are eligible to be selected by their country’s Olympic team if they have fulfilled both of the following criteria during the qualification period: 

• Placed in the top 30 at an FIS World Cup event or at the 2021 FIS World Championships in their respective discipline (in the case of big air, placing in the top 30 of a slopestyle contest would suffice)
• Scored a minimum amount of FIS points (80 FIS points for aerials, moguls and ski cross; 50 FIS points for halfpipe and slopestyle; and 50 FIS points in either big air or slopestyle for big air entrants)

The U.S. Olympic freestyle skiing team was announced on Jan. 21, 2022, and includes the following athletes:

• David Wise
• Aaron Blunck
• Alex Ferreira
• Hanna Faulhaber
• Brita Sigourney
• Birk Irving
• Devin Logan
• Carly Margulies
• Alex Hall
• Colby Stevenson
• Mac Forehand
• Maggie Voisin
• Caroline Claire
• Nick Goepper
• Marin Hamill
• Darian Stevens
• Winter Vinecki
• Megan Nick
• Justin Schoenefeld
• Chris Lillis
• Ashley Caldwell
• Kaila Kuhn
• Eric Loughran
• Jaelin Kauf
• Hannah Soar
• Olivia Giaccio
• Kai Owens
• Brad Wilson
• Cole McDonald
• Nick Page
• Dylan Walczyk
• Tyler Wallasch

A series of selection events were held in the lead-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics. The objective criteria differs slightly by discipline.

Aerials

Based on rankings from the FIS Freestyle Ski Points Lists and athletes' performances across the following designated tryout events:

• Deer Valley, Utah, Feb. 4-6, 2021
• Ruka, Finland, Dec. 2, 2021
• Ruka, Finland, Dec. 10, 2021
• Deer Valley, Utah, Jan. 12, 2022

A maximum of three athletes per gender can be nominated for the event in the following order:

1. Up to the top two highest ranking athletes per gender from the respective FIS Points Lists on Dec. 22, 2021, provided they're ranked top-six overall
2. A third quota spot per gender can be allocated based on an athlete having at least one top-three result in the tryout events
3. Any remaining spots can be filled using discretionary selection criteria, e.g., ability to produce a medal-winning result, results within last two years, etc.

Mixed Team Aerials

Discretionary selection criteria will be used by the U.S. aerials head coach to select the athletes to represent the U.S. in the mixed team event from those already nominated for the individual events of the same discipline at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Such criteria include the ability to produce a medal-winning result, or proving future medal potential via a top-eight result at a major competition or top-20 world ranking in the last two years.

Moguls

Based on rankings from the FIS Freestyle Ski Points Lists and athletes' performances across the following designated tryout events:

• Ruka, Finland, Dec. 4, 2021
• Idre Fjall, Sweden, Dec. 11, 2021
• Alpe d’Huez, France, Dec. 16, 2021
• Mt. Tremblant, Canada, Jan. 7, 2022
• Mt. Tremblant, Canada, Jan. 8, 2022
• Deer Valley, Utah, Jan. 13, 2022
• Deer Valley, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022

A maximum of three athletes per gender can be nominated for the event in the following order:

1. Up to the top two highest ranking athletes per gender from the respective FIS Points Lists on Dec. 22, 2021, provided they're ranked top-six overall
2. A third quota spot per gender can be allocated based on an athlete having at least one top-three result in the tryout events
3. Any remaining spots can be filled using discretionary selection criteria, e.g., ability to produce a medal-winning result, results within last two years, etc.

Ski Cross

Based on rankings from the FIS Freestyle Ski Points Lists and athletes' performances across the following designated tryout events:

• Veysonnaz, Switz., March 21, 2021
• Secret Garden, China, Nov. 27, 2021
• Val Thorens, France, Dec. 10, 2021
• Val Thorens, France, Dec. 11, 2021
• Innichen, Italy, Dec. 19, 2021
• Innichen, Italy, Dec. 20, 2021
• Nakiska, Canada, Jan. 14, 2022
• Nakiska, Canada, Jan. 15, 2022

A maximum of three athletes per gender can be nominated for the event in the following order:

1. Up to the top two highest ranking athletes per gender from the respective FIS Points Lists on Dec. 22, 2021, provided they're ranked top-six overall
2. A third quota spot per gender can be allocated based on an athlete having at least one top-three result in the tryout events
3. Any remaining spots can be filled using discretionary selection criteria, e.g., ability to produce a medal-winning result, results within last two years, etc.

Big Air, Halfpipe, Slopestyle

Based on rankings from the FIS Freestyle Ski Points Lists and athletes' performances across the following designated tryout events:

• HP/SS: U.S. Grand Prix, Aspen, Colo., March 18-21, 2021
• SS: Stubai, Austria, Nov. 26-27, 2021
• BA: Steamboat Springs, Colo., Dec. 3-4, 2021
• HP: U.S. Grand Prix, Copper Mountain, Colo., Dec. 8 and 10, 2021
• HP/SS: Dew Tour event, Copper Mountain, Colo., Dec. 16-18, 2021
• HP: Calgary, Canada, Dec. 29-30, 2021
• HP: Calgary, Canada, Dec. 31, 2021 – Jan. 1, 2022
• HP/SS: U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., Jan. 6-8, 2022

A maximum of three athletes per gender can be nominated for the event in the following order:

1. Up to the top two highest ranking athletes per gender from the respective FIS Points Lists on Dec. 22, 2021, provided they're ranked top-six overall
2. A third quota spot per gender can be allocated based on an athlete having at least one top-three result in the tryout events
3. Any remaining spots can be filled using discretionary selection criteria, e.g., ability to produce a medal-winning result, results within last two years, etc.

NBC Olympics Research contributed to this report