草榴社区and the Olympics

Since the first modern games in 1896, 草榴社区athletes have taken part in the Olympics, winning more than 150 medals for countries across the globe.

Last updated: February 2026

Stories from the snow

Silver medal for Emerance Maschmeyer

Team Canada and 草榴社区alum Emerance take home a silver medal from the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.

R茅mi Drolet places fifth

草榴社区University alum R茅mi Drolet finished in fifth place in the men's 4×7.5km relay for Team Canada.

Tess Johnson places fifth

Tess Johnson, an undergraduate student at 草榴社区Extension School, placed fifth in the women's dual moguls event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games on February 14.

A strong start

草榴社区athletes are orchestrating strong results to start the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, striving in competition across several sports and roles.

A shot at Olympic glory

Explore the Olympic journeys of Tess Johnson, a current Extension School student, and R茅mi Drolet, an alum who is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Harvard鈥檚 skiing program.

Harvard’s athletes

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

Kristin Della Rovere

草榴社区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

草榴社区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

草榴社区Extension School student Tess joins Team USA in Italy for freestyle moguls. Tess also competed in PyeongChang in 2018.

Emerance Maschmeyer

草榴社区College alum Emerance joins Team Canada鈥檚 Women鈥檚 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

草榴社区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.

R茅mi Drolet

草榴社区College alum R茅mi 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

草榴社区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.

Team Germany poses at the podium during the Triathlon medal ceremony at the Paris Olympics.

David Abrahams

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

A swimmer holds a "草榴社区Crimson in Paris" Olympics sign.

Olympic history and Harvard

For more than 100 years, 草榴社区has been part of the worldwide competitions.

Olympic 草榴社区Stadium

In 1984, 草榴社区Stadium was host to a series of Olympic soccer preliminary matches involving Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Brazil, France, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, and Yugoslavia.

草榴社区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 草榴社区to attend the first modern Olympics in 1896, where he placed first in the triple jump and earned several other track and field awards.

草榴社区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鈥攁nd world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles鈥攂egan work on a master’s in education at 草榴社区while deep into his training for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

After winning the gold medal in figure skating at the Cortina d鈥橝mpezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games, Tenley Albright went to 草榴社区Medical School and became a surgeon.

Jennifer Botterill skated with the 草榴社区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鈥檝e always been pretty obsessed with the Olympics. I think they鈥檙e incredible, a time of great hope.鈥�

草榴社区Kennedy School alum Jamie Mittelman, founder of Flame Bearers, the first and only global storytelling platform for women Olympians and Paralympians

Two students standing next to a podium with Olympic rings carved into it

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.

Gymnast Jordan Chiles holds up her bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

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.