CU at the 2018 Winter Olympics

CU Colorado Springs international business student Mirai Nagasu  executed the first triple axel by an American woman at the Olympics as she helped the United States to the bronze medal in the figure skating team event. She competed in the penultimate competition of the team event Feb. 12 at the Gangneung Ice Arena in South Korea. 

Nagasu landed the triple axel 21 seconds into her free skate and finished with a season-best score of 137.53. She finished second among the five competitors and helped the United States expand its lead for third place against Italy before the final event of the competition. She scored 186.54 points in the ladies single figure skating event and finished No. 10 at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. She placed second among American figure skaters.

Arielle Gold, a Steamboat Springs resident, won a bronze medal in the ladies’ halfpipe in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. She is a psychology major halfway through a degree at CU Boulder. She also competed in the 2014 winter Olympics.

Other CU-affiliated Olympians

Petra Hyncicova, the defending NCAA Champion in both the classic and freestyle disciplines, was named to the 2018 Czech Republic Olympic team in the Nordic skiing. Hyncicova, a senior at CU Boulder who competed in the skiathlon, 10km free and sprint, became the 15th woman to sweep the cross country races at the NCAA Championships, winning the freestyle and classical national titles in 2017. She was named the 2017 national women’s Nordic skier of the year.

CU Boulder marketing student Casey Andringa finished fifth in the moguls event in the freestyle skiing category. It was the best finish for an American man in an Olympic moguls competition since 2010. He is originally from Milwaukee, but now calls Boulder his hometown, and is a member of the Vail Ski Club.

CU Boulder alumni are represented as well. Joanne Reid, whose uncle is five-time 1980 Olympic speed skating champion Eric Heiden, competed in three events: sprint, individual and mixed relay.​ Hyncicova and Reid are the 35th and 36th CU ski team member to make it to the Olympics. Reid earned her bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics in 2013 and an M.S. in engineering in 2017.

Kendall Wesenberg, a 2012 graduate of the Leeds School of Business, compete in the skeleton. Wesenberg, from Modesto, Calif., became first American woman to win European Cup during 2014-15 season.

Brian Hansen, who attended CU Boulder for two years, competed in the long track speed skating competition at the Olympics. From Glenview, Calif., Hansen won a silver medal in men’s team pursuit in the 2010 Winter Games.

Three CU alumni have worked as broadcasters at the Olympics as well:

• Abby Chin (2003 broadcast news) is on the NBC reporting team and is covering cross country skiing and ski jumping. She is a Boston Celtics sideline reporter for NBC.
• Cheryl Preheim (Comm 1995) is with Atlanta’s NBC affiliate, 11Alive WXIA. She is covering her fourth Olympics. She was to London, Sochi and Rio as well. 
• Carl Quintanilla (PoliSci) broadcast for CNBC.

In addition, CU Boulder alumna and employee Barbara Bogner drove the zamboni at the 2018 winter Olympics!