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Harvard and the Olympics

Since the first modern games in 1896, Harvard athletes have taken part in the Olympics, winning more than 150 medals for countries across the globe.
Explore Harvard’s Olympians

Stories from the snow

Explore Harvard’s Olympians

Tess Johnson places fifth

Tess Johnson, an undergraduate student at Harvard Extension School, placed fifth in the women’s dual moguls event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games on February 14.
Learn more about her run

A strong start

Harvard athletes are orchestrating strong results to start the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, striving in competition across several sports and roles.
Learn more about the competition

A shot at Olympic glory

Explore the Olympic journeys of Tess Johnson, a current Extension School student, and Rémi Drolet, an alum who is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Harvard’s skiing program.
Learn more about their story

Tess Johnson places fifth

Tess Johnson, an undergraduate student at Harvard Extension School, placed fifth in the women’s dual moguls event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games on February 14.
Learn more about her run

A strong start

Harvard athletes are orchestrating strong results to start the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, striving in competition across several sports and roles.
Learn more about the competition

A shot at Olympic glory

Explore the Olympic journeys of Tess Johnson, a current Extension School student, and Rémi Drolet, an alum who is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Harvard’s skiing program.
Learn more about their story

Harvard’s athletes

Learn about the athletes from the Harvard community who are competing in the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Italy.

Kristin Della Rovere

Harvard College alum Kristin joins the Italian National Women’s Ice Hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics after helping Italy win the Women’s World 1-B Championship last year.

Learn more about Kristin

Rémi Drolet

Harvard College alum Rémi earned a spot on the roster of Team Canada for cross-country skiing. He also competed for Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Learn more about Rémi

Emerance Maschmeyer

Harvard College alum Emerance joins Team Canada’s Women’s Ice Hockey team. This is her second appearance in an Olympic tournament after competing with the Canadians at the 2022 games in Beijing.
Learn more about Emerance

Dan Cnossen

Harvard Kennedy and Divinity School alum Dan Cnossen is one of the most decorated athletes in U.S. Paralympic history, with seven career medals. He competes in his fourth Paralympic Winter Games in Milan.
Learn more about Dan

Tess Johnson

Harvard Extension School student Tess joins Team USA in Italy for freestyle moguls. Tess also competed in PyeongChang in 2018.
Learn more about Tess

The Paris report

Harvard athletes won a record-breaking 13 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Learn more about Harvard at the Paris Olympics

Gabby Thomas

Gabby Thomas won a staggering three gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

Lauren Scruggs

Cementing herself in American fencing history, Lauren Scruggs earned two Olympic medals in Paris.

Kristen Faulkner

Kristen Faulkner’s gold in the women’s road race was Team USA’s first in the event since 1984.

Lisa Tertsch

Along with her teammates, Lisa Tertsch led Germany to its first ever gold medal in the triathlon mixed relay event.

David Abrahams

David Abrahams took fifth place in the 100-meter breaststroke SB13 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Olympic history and Harvard

For more than 100 years, Harvard has been part of the worldwide competitions.

Olympic Harvard Stadium

In 1984, Harvard Stadium was host to a series of Olympic soccer preliminary matches involving Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Brazil, France, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, and Yugoslavia.
Learn more about Harvard Stadium

Harvard Olympians

These are just some of the athletes who have played an integral role in the Olympics and Paralympics for more than a century.
Explore all the Harvard competitors

James Connolly

James Connolly had to take an “honourable withdrawal” from Harvard to attend the first modern Olympics in 1896, where he placed first in the triple jump and earned several other track and field awards.

Cheta Emba

Harvard College alum Cheta Emba competed in women’s rugby on Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the second-ever Olympic appearance for rugby sevens.

David Hemery

The 1968 Olympic gold medalist for Great Britain—and world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles—began work on a master’s in education at Harvard while deep into his training for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Tenley Albright

After winning the gold medal in figure skating at the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games, Tenley Albright went to Harvard Medical School and became a surgeon.

Jennifer Botterill

Jennifer Botterill skated with the Harvard Crimson from 1998 to 2003, taking a one-year break in 2002 to help Team Canada win gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Learning from the Olympics

I’ve always been pretty obsessed with the Olympics. I think they’re incredible, a time of great hope.”

Harvard Kennedy School alum Jamie Mittelman, founder of Flame Bearers, the first and only global storytelling platform for women Olympians and Paralympians
Read more about Jamie’s work

From ancient Greece to the modern Olympics

Commercializing the Olympics

Harvard Business School professor explains how Adidas created the first sports sponsorships for the Olympics.

Mental health and competition

Anxiety can take a toll on athletic performance, especially at high stakes events like the Olympics.

Olympic monuments

Cities hosting the Olympics should practice legacy planning, solving present needs with an awareness of future generations.

Competitive edge

Practice might get you to the Olympics, but mental preparation may be what puts you on the podium.

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