CU sends 8 athletes to Winter Olympics in Italy
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Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Photo: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images
Eight current or former University of Colorado athletes will compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Why it matters: This year's games will mark 101 total Olympic appearances by 65 CU athletes, highlighting the university's long-standing role as a Winter Games pipeline.
- That number is due in large part to the program's legendary ski team, which has sent 46 athletes to the Winter Games.
Meet this year's CU contingent:
Alvar Alev, Estonia, cross-country skiing: Alev is a 32-year-old cross-country skier who competed for the Buffs ski team from 2018–2019, earning multiple All-America honors. This is Alev's second straight trip to the Winter Olympics representing Estonia.
Stacy Gaskill, USA, snowboard cross: Gaskill, 25, is representing Team USA in snowboard cross for the second time. The Golden native is an ecology and evolutionary biology major at CU who is also a member of the CU women's ultimate frisbee team.
Cassidy Gray, Canada, alpine skiing: Gray, 22, skied for the Buffaloes during the 2021 season, winning the NCAA giant slalom national championship before moving on to the World Cup circuit. She also represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Hugo Hinckfuss, Australia, cross-country skiing: A 22-year-old member of the CU Boulder ski team, Hinckfuss took a semester off to focus on Olympic qualification and will compete at his second Winter Games, having previously appeared at the 2022 Olympics.
Svea Irving, USA, freeski halfpipe: The 23-year-old CU graduate and Winter Park native will be making her first Olympic appearance.
Jakob Moch, Germany, cross-country skiing: A 19-year-old freshman on CU's Nordic ski team, Moch will be the first CU student to represent Germany when he makes his debut at the Winter Olympics.
Joanne Reid, USA, biathlon: Reid was an All-American skier for the Colorado Buffaloes from 2010–2013, earning an individual NCAA title and two team titles before transitioning to biathlon. One of the veterans of Team USA, the 33-year-old is making her third consecutive Winter Olympic appearance.
Ryder Sarchett, USA, alpine skiing: The 22-year-old won an NCAA National Championship with the Buffs in 2024 before qualifying for his first Olympic team.
What we're watching: You can check on the CU athletes and their competition schedule on CU's website.