Dartmouth's Olympic Reputation Hailed as Final Teams Named

Fifteen athletes with ties to the College, including Dartmouth engineer Dave Chodounsky ’08, will compete in the 2018 Winter Games.

With 15 competitors headed to the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, “Dartmouth College’s Olympic skiing reputation continues to grow,” Team USA proclaimed in a headline this week. ... Including the 2018 contingent, Dartmouth athletes have earned 147 spots on Winter Olympics team rosters, with athletes from the College competing in every Winter Games since the first one in 1924. To date, Dartmouth athletes have won a total of 13 gold, nine silver, and six bronze medals, more than many countries.

A lot of that success grows out of the history and tradition at Dartmouth, says men’s alpine skiing coach Peter Dodge ’78, a former U.S. Ski Team champion himself. Another key is the D-Plan, which enables athletes to take time off and focus on their sport, while continuing to pursue their education.

“Take a guy like Dave Chodounsky ’08. He came here, skied for Dartmouth for four years, won an NCAA championship, and finished in four years with a degree in engineering and Earth sciences, and then pursued high-level World Cup and Olympic competition,” Dodge says. ...

David Chodounsky ’08 speeds down the course during the men’s 2017 U.S. Alpine Championships slalom in Sugarloaf, ME. (Photo © Chris Cohen)

David Chodounsky ’08 will compete in men’s slalom with Team USA in Pyeongchang, making the team in the final qualifying World Cup event on Jan. 21. The two-time Olympian was also a standout athlete at Dartmouth, winning the NCAA slalom title as a first-year skier on the men’s Alpine team.