MIT’s Winter Club Sports Ready to Cheer on the Olympics

From watch parties to firsthand passion, MIT’s curling and figure skating clubs embrace the 2026 Winter Olympics

With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics underway, several of MIT’s winter sports clubs are hosting watch parties to cheer on their favorite players, events, and teams.

MIT’s Curling Club is holding watch parties to cheer on their favorite teams. Co-Presidents Polly Harrington and Gabi Wojcik are rooting for the US.

“I’m looking forward to watching the Olympics and cheering for Team USA. I grew up in Seattle, and during the Vancouver Olympics, we took a family trip to the games. The most affordable tickets were to the curling events, and that was my first exposure to the sport. Seeing it live was really cool. I was hooked,” says Harrington.

Wojcik says, “It’s a very analytical and strategic sport, so it’s perfect for MIT students. Physicists still don’t entirely agree on why the rocks behave the way they do. Everyone in the club is welcoming and open to teaching new people to play. I’d never played before and learned from scratch. The other advantage of playing is that it is a lifelong sport.”

The two say the biggest misconception about curling, other than that it is easy, is that it is played on ice skates. It’s neither easy nor played on skates. The stone, or rock, as it is often referred to, weighs 43 pounds, and is made from the same weathered granite from Scotland, so the playing field, or in this case, ice, is even.

Both agree that playing is a great way to meet other students from MIT that they might not otherwise have the chance to.

To celebrate the Olympics, the Curling Club will hold watch parties to cheer on their favorite players and teams. Having seen the American team at a recent tournament, Wojcik is hoping the team does well, but admits that if Scotland wins, she’ll also be happy. Harrington met members of the US men’s curling team, Luc Violette and Ben Richardson, when curling in Seattle in high school, and will be cheering for them.

The Curling Club team practices and competes in tournaments in the New England area from late September until mid-March and always welcomes new members. No previous experience is necessary to join. Students interested in learning more should email the club leaders, curling-exec@mit.edu.

Figure Skating Club

The MIT Figure Skating Club is also excited for the 2026 Olympics and has been watching preliminary events (Nationals) leading up to the games with great anticipation. Eleanor Li, the current club president, and Amanda (Mandy) Paredes Rioboo, former president, say holding small gatherings to watch the Olympics is a great way for the team to bond further.

Li began taking skating lessons at age 14 and fell in love with the sport right away, and has been skating ever since. Paredes Rioboo started lessons at age five and practices in the mornings with other club members, saying, “There is no better way to start the day.”

The Figure Skating Club currently has 120 members and offers a great way to meet friends who share the same passion. Any MIT student, regardless of skill level, is welcome to join the club.

Li says, “We have members ranging from former national and international competitors to people who are completely new to the ice.” Adding that her favorite part of skating is, “The freeing feeling of wind coming at you when you’re gliding across the ice! And all the life lessons learned − time management, falling again and again, and getting up again and again, the artistry and expressiveness of this beautiful sport, and most of all the community.”

Paredes Rioboo agrees, “The sport taught me discipline, to work at something and struggle with it until I got good at it. It taught me to be patient with myself and to be unafraid of failure.”

“The Olympics always bring a lot of buzz and curiosity around skating, and we’re excited to hopefully see more people come to our Saturday free group lessons, try skating for the first time, and maybe even join the club,” says Li.

Li and Paredes Rioboo are ready to watch the games with other club members. Li says, “I’m especially excited for Women’s Singles skating. All of the athletes have trained so hard to get there, and I’m really looking forward to watching all the beautiful skating. Especially Kaori Sakamoto.”

“I’m excited to watch Alysa Liu and Ami Nakai,” adds Paredes Rioboo.

Students interested in joining the Figure Skating Club can find more information here.

Special Note: MIT Dining is partnering with the International Student Association over the course of the Olympics. Students from their network will contribute recipes from around the world that Dining will serve, with each dining hall representing a different continent over the course of the two weeks. For more information, follow MIT Dining on Instagram, @mitfoodstuff, or look for messages on dormspam.