The Olympics
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» and the Olympics
Since the first modern games in 1896, Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» athletes have taken part in the Olympics, winning more than 150 medals for countries across the globe.
Stories from the snow
Silver medal for Emerance Maschmeyer
Rémi Drolet places fifth
Tess Johnson places fifth
A strong start
A shot at Olympic glory
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»’s athletes
Learn about the athletes from the Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» community who are competing in the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
Kristin Della Rovere
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.
Sean O’Neill
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Law School alum Sean made the U.S. Wheelchair Curling national team in 2024 and then was named to the U.S. Paralympic Team for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Tess Johnson
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Extension School student Tess joins Team USA in Italy for freestyle moguls. Tess also competed in PyeongChang in 2018.
Emerance Maschmeyer
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.
Dan Cnossen
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.
Rémi Drolet
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.
The Paris report
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» athletes won a record-breaking 13 medals at the 2024 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 Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»
For more than 100 years, Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» has been part of the worldwide competitions.
Olympic Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Stadium
In 1984, Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Stadium was host to a series of Olympic soccer preliminary matches involving Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Brazil, France, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, and Yugoslavia.
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Olympians
These are just some of the athletes who have played an integral role in the Olympics and Paralympics for more than a century.
James Connolly had to take an “honourable withdrawal” from Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» to attend the first modern Olympics in 1896, where he placed first in the triple jump and earned several other track and field awards.
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.
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 Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» while deep into his training for the 1972 Summer Olympics.
After winning the gold medal in figure skating at the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games, Tenley Albright went to Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Medical School and became a surgeon.
Jennifer Botterill skated with the Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» 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.â€Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Kennedy School alum Jamie Mittelman, founder of Flame Bearers, the first and only global storytelling platform for women Olympians and Paralympians
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From ancient Greece to the modern Olympics
Commercializing the Olympics
An HBS professor discusses 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.
Legal challenges
The case highlights procedural fairness for elite-level athletes.
Olympic monuments
Cities hosting the Olympics should practice legacy planning.
Competitive edge
Practice might get you to the Olympics, but mental preparation may be what puts you on the podium.
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