11 Olympians Represent St. Lawrence on the World Stage
The road to Olympic glory begins in many different corners of the world, and for a remarkable group of Laurentians, that journey started in the North Country.
The Saints will be represented by 11 athletes, coaches, and executives—competing for five different nations—to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. Among them, current student Emma Gatcliffe ’27, will make her Olympic debut in alpine skiing. She will be the first woman to ever represent Trinidad and Tobago in the Winter Games, and will even serve as one of the country’s flagbearers in the opening ceremony.
Emma will be joined in Italy by her brother, fellow Laurentian James Gatcliffe ’26, who is serving as a coach for the Trinidadian alpine squad.
The University organized a celebratory send-off Wednesday for Emma at her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she was cheered on by dozens of students, staff, and faculty as she drove away flanked by an escort of firetrucks and police cars.
“It feels amazing to have all this support, and it’s really helped to calm my nerves,” Emma said, adding that competing in the Olympics “has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.”
“Now that it’s actually happening, I’m over the moon, and I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet.” Emma has skied in both the Colby Carnival and SLU Carnival for the Saints this season, recording a 32nd-place finish in the giant slalom at Whiteface last weekend. Outside of EISA competition, she just placed third in the giant slalom in the Clarkson races in Lake Placid. Last year, she competed for Trinidad and Tobago at the World Junior Championships.
"I'm so proud of Emma for making it to the Winter Olympics," said head coach Willi Steinrotter. "She's been skiing well, and we look forward to watching her excel in Italy. It's every athlete’s dream to represent their country, and it's very fulfilling to see Emma achieve her dream."
Emma is scheduled to attend the opening ceremonies on February 6 and will train for about a week before racing in the giant slalom on the 15th and the slalom on the 18th.
As for the other Laurentians competing, the University’s presence in international hockey remains significant, with Julia Gosling ’24 and Barbora Jurickova ’30 competing on the ice for Canada and Czechia respectively, while Gina Kingsbury ’04 and Britni Smith ’10 hold leadership positions for Canada.
The St. Lawrence legacy also extends to skeleton, where Kelly Curtis M’14 is competing for the United States as the first Black athlete to represent the U.S. in skeleton. Curtis is a former assistant men’s and women’s track and field assistant coach at St. Lawrence under current head coaches Kate Howard and John Newman. Joining Curtis as part of the skeleton event is Leslie Stratton ’14, a former Saints softball player who is serving as a coach for the Czechia skeleton team.
Additionally, three-time Paralympic medalist Sydney Peterson ’24 will return to the world stage in Nordic skiing this March, after making her Olympic debut as an enrolled St. Lawrence student at Beijing 2022.
“The participation of 11 Saints students and alumni at the Milan Cortina Games is a powerful reflection of St. Lawrence University’s global reach and continuing commitment to athletics excellence,” says Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Franco Bari.
“From historic first appearances to leadership roles on the world’s largest stage, these Laurentians embody the Scarlet and Brown values of perseverance, seriousness of purpose, and high achievement, that define our community.”
St. Lawrence University is proud to celebrate the Laurentians headed to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Representing St. Lawrence as athletes, coaches, and leaders, they will compete for Canada, the United States, Italy, Czechia, and Trinidad & Tobago across hockey, skeleton, alpine skiing, and Nordic skiing.
Follow Our Olympians in Italy
The Laurentian Olympic Roster
| Name | Class Year | Country | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Kingsbury | '04 | Canada | Hockey (General Manager) |
| Britni Smith | '10 | Canada | Hockey (Coach) |
| Kelly Curtis | M'14 | USA | Skeleton |
| Leslie Stratton | '14 | Czechia | Skeleton (Coach) |
| Justine Reyes | '19 | Italy | Hockey |
| Kristen Guerriero | '22 | Italy | Hockey |
| Sydney Peterson | '24 | USA | Nordic Ski (Paralympic) |
| Julia Gosling | '24 | Canada | Hockey |
| James Gatcliffe | '26 | Trinidad & Tobago | Alpine Skiing (Coach) |
| Emma Gatcliffe | '27 | Trinidad & Tobago | Alpine Skiing |
| Barbora Jurickova | '30 | Czechia | Hockey |
How to Watch our St. Lawrence Representatives at the Winter Games
| Women's Hockey Schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | Sweden vs. Italy | 8:40 a.m. | Peacock |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | Switzerland vs. Canada | 5:10 p.m. | USA Network / Peacock |
| Monday, Feb. 9 | Japan vs. Italy | 6:10 a.m. | Peacock |
| Monday, Feb. 9 | Canada vs. Czechia | 5:10 p.m. | USA Network / Peacock |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | Canada vs. USA | 2:10 p.m. | NBC / Peacock |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | Italy vs. Germany | 10:40 a.m. | Peacock |
| Friday, Feb. 13 | Quarterfinals | TBD | USA Network / Peacock |
| Saturday, Feb. 14 | Quarterfinals | TBD | USA Network / Peacock |
| Monday, Feb. 16 | Semifinals | TBD | USA Network / Peacock |
| Thursday, Feb. 19 | Gold Medal Game | 3:10 p.m. | NBC / Peacock |
| Women's Skeleton Schedule | |||
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
| Friday, Feb. 13 | Runs 1 & 2 | 10 a.m. | USA Network / Peacock |
| Saturday, Feb. 14 | Finals | 12 p.m. | NBC / Peacock |
| Women's Alpine Skiing Schedule | |||
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
| Sunday, Feb. 15 | Giant Slalom – Run 1 | 4 a.m. | Peacock |
| Sunday, Feb. 15 | Giant Slalom – Run 2 | 7:20 a.m. | USA Network / Peacock |
| Wednesday, Feb. 18 | Slalom – Run 1 | 4 a.m. | Peacock |
| Wednesday, Feb. 18 | Slalom – Run 2 | 7:20 a.m. | USA Network / Peacock |
| Paralympic Nordic Skiing Schedule | |||
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
| March 6-15 | Cross Country & Biathlon | TBD | Peacock |
Additional Resources
Olympics.com is a host resource for all content and information regarding the Games. For a look at the schedule and live medal counts, visit the official Milan Cortina 2026 Results Portal. Finally, U.S. viewers can catch every Olympic event live or on-demand via Peacock, the primary streaming home for the 2026 Winter Games.
