DENVER – The University of Denver will have eight current or former Pioneers compete in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, set to run Feb. 4-20 in Beijing, China.
 
Pioneers in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games
Katie Hensien – Alpine Skiing – United States*
Andrea Komsic – Alpine Skiing – Croatia
Amelia Smart – Alpine Skiing – Canada
Trevor Philp – Alpine Skiing – Canada
Erik Read – Alpine Skiing – Canada
Jasmi Joensuu – Cross Country Skiing – Finland
Nick Shore – Ice Hockey – United States
Juho Olkinuora – Ice Hockey – Finland
           
*Current student-athlete
 
Denver's eight current or former student-athletes are tied for the fourth-highest total among NCAA institutions.
 
Hensien was a second team All-RMISA selection in 2020 and is entering her first Olympics. Prior to leaving for Beijing, Hensien was named the Skier of the Meet for the RMISA Invitational, earning a spot on the podium in both women's alpine events. She has five top-five finishes in the 2022 collegiate season and has placed first or second in each of her last four races. Hensien is the first DU student-athlete to represent the United States in alpine skiing since Eric Paulsen at the 1972 Sapporo Winter Games and the first female to do so since Gladys Werner in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
 
Komsic began her career as a 2017 All-RMISA First-Team selection before earning First Team All-America status in slalom in 2018. In 2019, Komsic was a two-time Second-Team All-America finisher at the NCAA Championships. This is her third Olympics as she also competed in Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.
 
Smart, who is making her Olympic debut, was a three-time Individual NCAA champion, earning the slalom and giant slalom double in 2018 before winning the slalom championship again in 2021. The 2019 USCSCA Women's Alpine Skier of the Year earned five NCAA All-America honors, taking at least one in each of her four seasons with the program.
 
Philp won the 2016 men's slalom individual national championship, helping guide the Pioneers to the team national title that year as well. The Canadian skier earned four All-America honors over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and he also competed at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.
 
Read was a four-time All-America honoree and helped the Pioneers win the 2014 national championship. A two-time National Academic Team honoree, Read will be heading to his second Olympics after also participating in Pyeongchang in 2018.
 
Alpine Skiing Olympic Schedule
 
Joensuu helped the Pioneers to the 2016 national championship before earning Second Team All-America honors in 2018 as Denver won its second team national title in three years. In 2019, Joensuu earned a pair of Nordic All-America honors. She is making her Olympic debut for Team Finland.
 
Cross Country Skiing Olympic Schedule
 
Shore played in 115 games in three seasons with the DU hockey team, finishing his collegiate career with 93 points on 34 goals and 59 assists. Following college, Shore played a season and a half in the AHL in Manchester before he began his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings. The Denver, Colorado, native played 299 games in the NHL and is currently playing for Novosibirsk Sibir in the KHL.
 
USA Hockey Olympic Schedule
 
Olkinuora was an NCAA West Second Team All-American in 2012-13, capping a two-year career with the crimson and gold that saw him play in 46 career games with a 2.20 goals-against average. In his collegiate career, Olkinuora had five shutouts and a 22-14-8 record. Olkinuora has played professionally ever since, spending his last three seasons in the KHL.
 
Finland Hockey Preliminary Round Schedule (All Times Mountain)
Feb. 10 vs. Slovakia – 1:40 a.m. MT
Feb. 11 vs. Latvia – 6:10 a.m. MT
Feb. 13 vs. Sweden – 1:40 a.m. MT
 
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