U-M athletes and alumni have been competing in the Winter Games since 1936, with 12 earning spots on the podium. Here are some of the most a-maize-ing moments and milestones:

1936

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Ski jumper Walter Bietila was the first University of Michigan student to participate in the Winter Olympics, finishing 30th in the “special jump” event. The 1940 Olympics were canceled because of World War II, but Bietila returned to the Games in 1946 as captain of the U.S. ski jumping team.

1956

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Willard Ikola and John Matchefts became the first U-M medalists in the Winter Games when Team USA won the silver in men’s ice hockey. Ikola was also named outstanding goalie of the Games. U-M hockey player Robert White competed that year, as well, winning a bronze medal with the Canadian team.

1992/1994

Albertville/Lillehammer

Two former U-M hockey players earned the silver with Canadian teams — Todd Brost in 1992 and David Harlock in 1994.

2010

Vancouver

Five U-M athletes made it to Canada — a hockey player and four ice dancers — and came home with three silver medals. Ice dancing pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White placed second in their first Olympic appearance, and hockey defenseman Jack Johnson earned the silver with Team USA. Two other U-M students, Evan Bates and Emily Samuelson, also competed as a pair in ice dancing, finishing 11th.

2014

Sochi

Eight Wolverines represented the U.S. in Russia: five on the ice dancing team, and three former U-M men’s ice hockey players who competed for three different countries. Davis and White became the first Americans to capture Olympic gold in ice dancing; they also won the bronze in the Winter Games’ inaugural skating team competition. Former U-M hockey player Carl Hagelin picked up a silver medal with Sweden, while his former teammates Max Pacioretty (Team USA) and Brian Lebler (Austria) made their Olympic debuts, but didn’t medal. Three U-M students also skated into ice dancing’s top 10: Bates and his partner Madison Chock (not a U-M student) finished eighth, and siblings Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani took ninth.

2018

Pyeongchang

Six U-M students and alumni competed in South Korea, bringing home medals in ice hockey and ice dancing for the third straight Winter Games. Hockey player Andrew Ebbett picked up a bronze medal with Canada, while the Shibutani siblings earned a pair of bronzes for the U.S. — one in ice dancing and one in the figure skating team event. Ebbett’s former teammate, Chad Kolarik, played with the USA men’s hockey team, while Bates served as captain of the USA figure skating team, and finished ninth in ice dancing, along with his partner Chock. A former Wolverine football player also competed at the games: Sam McGuffie made his Olympic debut on the U.S. bobsled team.

2022

Beijing

Seven past and present U-M students competed in China, including four current U-M hockey teammates — Matty Beniers (USA), Brendan Brisson (USA), Kent Johnson (Canada) and Owen Power (Canada). Also on Team USA’s men’s hockey team were former U-M players Steven Kampfer and Strauss Mann. Neither the U.S. nor Canada medaled. Bates became the first American figure skater to compete in four straight Olympics, and he and Chock won a silver medal in the figure skating team event. (The U.S. team would later be awarded the gold after first-place Russia was demoted for doping violations.) In ice dancing, Bates and Chock finished just off the podium in fourth.

2026

Milan Cortina

Five U-M alumni will compete in Italy over the next few weeks. Kyle Connor, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin and Zach Werenski, are all on the roster for Team USA’s men’s hockey team, and Bates will become the first American skater to compete in five consecutive winter games. After just missing a medal in 2022, Bates and his partner Chock are hoping to bring home ice dancing hardware this year.