Syracuse University’s Orange pride extends to Italy as students, faculty and alumni represent the University at the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Whether competing in one of 16 sporting events, serving as on-air commentators or working behind the scenes for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Games, the Arancia are in on the action.
Most of the Games take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, where—like Syracuse—winter sports heritage runs deep. Cortina previously hosted the 1956 Winter Games, while Milan serves as a first-time Olympic host city. In a showcase of Italian culture and alpine tradition, this year’s events are being held across stunning venues in the Dolomites and iconic locations throughout Lombardy, including the Milano Santa Giulia Olympic Village and historic ski slopes that have hosted world championship competitions.
Torch Passing
Syracuse junior Kiera Walsh, currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy, caught up with the Olympic torch as it passed through Florence on its way to Siena. Walsh is studying law, society and policy and political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Walsh was attracted to the Florence study abroad program because studying in the heart of the Renaissance, surrounded by centuries of history, would “give me the chance to fully immerse myself in a completely new culture.”
The Olympic Torch Relay travels 12,000km from Rome to Milan, visiting over 300 municipalities across all 110 Italian provinces and stopping for celebrations in 60 cities.
Athletes
Syracuse University alumna Akane Hosoyamada '15 carries the puck during her collegiate career, where she developed the skills that would later take her to represent Team Japan on the Olympic stage.
Syracuse women's ice hockey coach Britni Smith takes notes behind the bench for Team Canada, where she serves as assistant coach, lending her expertise to one of the sport's perennial powerhouses.
This year, Syracuse University will be represented at the Games by three members of the Orange family, each contributing to women’s ice hockey at the highest level. Syracuse women’s ice hockey coach Britni Smith will serve as assistant coach for Team Canada, bringing her expertise behind the bench for one of the sport’s perennial powerhouses. Melissa Piacentini ’16, a former Syracuse player who knows the Orange program from the inside, will join Team USA as video coach, helping to prepare the American squad for gold-medal competition. On the ice, Akane Hosoyamada ’15 will represent Team Japan, showcasing the skills she developed at Syracuse on the Olympic stage.
Melissa Piacentini '16 in action for Syracuse before joining Team USA's coaching staff as video coach.
“It’s been a dream of mine to go to the Olympics since I was a child, starting as a dream to be a player that progressed in my career into more of a dream to coach at the Games,” Smith says. “I’m most excited to be together with the team and the staff in Milan and represent my country and Syracuse University on a global level.”
Broadcasters
Syracuse University alumnus Mike Tirico '88 addresses the crowd at the Dome, where he honed his broadcasting skills before becoming NBC's primetime host for the Olympic Games.
Check out our channels to see our alumni broadcasters as they cover this year’s Winter Olympics.
’Cuse Explains
Matthew Armstrong, assistant professor of exercise science in the Falk College of Sport, explores how athletic training impacts the heart and cardiovascular system. He examines the differences between elite athletes’ hearts and those of nonathletes, revealing how the heart adapts specifically to different types of training—from endurance sports to power athletics. Armstrong also demystifies common athletic experiences like runner’s high, hitting a wall and getting a second wind, offering scientific insights into what’s really happening in the body during intense physical performance.
Making Team USA
College of Law alumna Katie Verderber L'16 will join Team USA to compete in mixed wheelchair curling at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.
Katie (Boumans) Verderber L’16, a College of Law alumna and former U.S. Army JAG Corps officer, is headed to the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games as a member of Team USA’s mixed wheelchair curling team. After sustaining a back injury during military service, Verderber discovered adaptive sports—and took up wheelchair curling just 19 months before earning her spot on the Paralympic roster. Now competing on the world stage, she’s on a mission to raise awareness of adaptive sports and inspire others with disabilities to pursue new possibilities.
