Huskies at the Winter Olympics
Husky pride headed to the world stage as three University of Washington alumni stepped into Olympic and Paralympic history in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Anna Gibson made her debut for Team USA in the first‑ever Ski Mountaineering event, pushing the boundaries of endurance and grit. Luc Violette took to the ice with Team USA Curling, bringing precision, power and dedication to his sport. And Nicole Zaino raced down the slopes in Para Nordic skiing blending elite athletics with a scientific approach shaped by her research background. Together, they embody the purple and gold as they chased glory on the world’s biggest stage.
Anna Gibson
Anna Gibson, an accomplished multi‑sport athlete and University of Washington alum, transitioned from track, cross‑country, and Nordic skiing into ski mountaineering, where she immediately made history by winning her first World Cup mixed relay with teammate Cam Smith to qualify Team USA for the 2026 Olympic debut of SkiMo.
Photo by Owen Crandall / teamusa.com
Luc Violette
Born and raised in western Washington, and a graduate of the University of Washington, Luc Violette followed in his father Tom’s championship footsteps to become a standout curler for Team USA, earning multiple junior national titles and international medals before qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Photo by Getty Images / teamusa.com
Nicole Zaino
UW alumna Nicole Zaino is a Para Nordic skiing athlete whose path to elite competition is shaped by both determination and science. With a PhD from the University of Washington, she brings her background in biomechanics and assistive technology to her training, blending research and sport as she competes on the world stage at the Paralympic Games.
Photo by Megan Dunn
As our Husky Olympians and Paralympians headed to Italy, their journeys reminded us that the impact of the games extends far beyond competition. It’s also shaped by those who tell the stories and help us understand their meaning. From UW alumna Thuc Nhi Nguyen, covering the games for the Los Angeles Times, to part‑time lecturer Kyle Haddad-Fonda, who brings the history and global significance of the games into the classroom through his Modern Olympic Games course, they show how Huskies engage in the Olympics not only through sport, but through storytelling and scholarship.
A Sports Obsession Inspires a Career
UW alumna Thuc Nhi Nguyen turned a childhood obsession with sports media into a thriving journalism career, shaped early by her years reporting and editing for The Daily at the University of Washington. Now a sports reporter for the Los Angeles Times, she covers the Lakers and the Olympics, reflecting on how her UW training prepared her to thrive in one of the country’s premier newsrooms.
UW course uses Olympics as historical lens
Kyle Haddad‑Fonda, a part‑time UW history lecturer, teaches “Modern Olympic Games” as a way for students to use the Olympic Games as a case study for understanding deeper historical contexts. In this Q&A with UWNews, he explains how Olympic competition becomes a lens for big themes like ideology, national identity, race, and more, and how he builds his final exam around what students watch in the Olympic Games to what they learn in class.
Together, these stories reflect the many ways Huskies shape the Olympic and Paralympic experience as competitors, storytellers and leaders on the world stage. They are part of a much larger legacy of UW alumni who have carried that same spirit into the Winter Games across generations. Below, explore a history of Huskies who have represented the United States at the Winter Olympics, each contributing to the University of Washington’s enduring Olympic tradition.
Husky Winter Olympians
| Athlete | Olympic Games | Event(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Don Fraser1 | 1936 | Slalom |
| Hillary Lindh2 | 1988 | Combined, Super G, Downhill |
| Hillary Lindh2 | 1992 | Super G, Downhill (Silver Medalist) |
| Hillary Lindh2 | 1994 | Super G, Downhill |
| Erin (Porter) Bembry | 1998 | Short track speed skating |
| Erin (Porter) Bembry | 2002 | Short track speed skating |
| Anna Gibson | 2026 | Ski mountaineering |
| Luc Violette | 2026 | Curling |