Anyone who isn’t living under a rock knows that the University of Michigan produces the Leaders and Best. The school is known for its extensive list of alumni – spanning from Madonna to Tom Brady. But did you know that you may have been watching Wolverine alumni on your TV screen during the Olympic Games? The Wolverines have garnered five athletes to represent Team USA, and only Boston University (5) has more representatives. The 2026 Olympic Games were held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, though all of the ice events in which University of Michigan alumni are represented are held in Milan. Let’s recap which athletes were priding the Maize and Blue in this year’s Games!
Evan Bates
Evan Bates is an American ice dancer born and raised in Ann Arbor. He graduated from the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, & the Arts with an Organizational Studies degree in 2013. He is the first American figure skater to compete in five Olympics. February 6, Bates and Emily Chock, who also lived in Michigan, competed their Rhythm Dance in the 2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Team Event. They placed first with a new season’s best score of 91.06, and followed it up with another season’s best (133.23) for their Free Dance in Day 2. Four days later, Chock and Bates took the silver medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics Ice Dance event after placing a close second in both segments, only 1.34 points behind Olympic gold. Fans rallied in support for Chock and Bates, and noticed many faults in the gold medalists performance, especially during their twizzle sequence. Contrastingly, Chock and Bates delivered a near perfect skate. Fans were outraged and even tried to get the scores reversed with a petition on Change.org. Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) upheld their decision.
University of Michigan Hockey
This Olympics in particular was historic for former Umich hockey players. With a thrilling game ending in overtime against Canada, four former University of Michigan hockey players were on the ice when the winning goal was scored for team USA. These players included Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings) and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets). Funny enough, it was Quinn Hughes’ brother, Zach Hughes, who scored the winning goal to lift the United States to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Canada and sparking an American celebration! The victory marked the first time Michigan players have captured Olympic gold, adding to a legacy that previously included 21 Wolverines earning eight Olympic medals. The last Wolverine to reach the podium was Swedish ice hockey player Carl Hagelin, who won silver for Sweden in 2014. The 2026 matchup marked the sixth time the United States and Canada met in the Olympic Games, and the third Olympic medal that the Men’s U.S. Hockey Team has won overall (1960, 1980, 2026). What makes this win even sweeter was that it was 40 years to the date of the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games: this historic game ended in the young, amateur U.S. team defeating the heavily favored, professional Soviet Union 4–3 on February 22 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Hopefully, we will see many more Wolverines on ice and at the Olympic games in the future. It is truly inspirational to see alumni go on to represent our country and take home the gold, as they will always represent the Leaders and Best for life.
Evan Bates, USA, U-M student (2008-13)
Kyle Connor, USA, U-M letterwinner (2016)
Quinn Hughes, USA, U-M letterwinner (2018-19)
Dylan Larkin, USA, U-M letterwinner (2015)
Zach Werenski, USA, U-M letterwinner (2016)