Four years after making his Olympic debut in Beijing, Rémi Drolet ‘24 is officially returning to the world’s biggest athletic stage. This February, the Harvard graduate will travel to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics to compete for Canada’s cross-country ski team.
Drolet, who lived in Adams House and concentrated in physics and math during his time at Harvard, has compiled an impressive resume as both a skier and student. During his collegiate career, the Canadian won the men’s 20-kilometer Classic at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y, was elected captain of his team, qualified three times for the NCAA Championships, was a three-time All-American, and was named the 2020 Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association’s (EISA) Rookie of the Year.
As an undergraduate, Drolet mirrored his athletic successes with academic distinction. He was a two-time CSC Academic All-America honoree and was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Society. For Drolet, Harvard provided an environment where he could strive for excellence both on skis and in academia.
“For me, it was important to go somewhere that had strong academics, and somewhere that I would feel like the school was pushing me,” Drolet said as he explained his decision to attend Harvard, despite it being an untraditional choice for a student with Olympic skiing aspirations.
Rémi Drolet is only the third cross-country skier in Harvard history to compete in the Olympics. In 2022, the Rossland, B.C., native was the first Crimson skier to race in the Winter Games since 1984. By Courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications
Before visiting campus, the Rossland, B.C., native said he “didn’t even know it was possible to ski in Boston,” but after going to Cambridge and meeting the team, he learned that it was feasible to train intensively while also pursuing academic rigor.
“I knew I could have a good community outside of just the ski team, which isn’t something that’s a given at a lot of schools,” Drolet shared. “Compared to the other schools I went to visit, I just loved the atmosphere so much. I also loved the skiing team at the time; they really made me feel like they wanted me to come and train there and be part of the team.”
Drolet credits the team’s welcoming, yet driven culture for encouraging him to attend.
“There were some good skiers already coming through the program, and they helped to address my concerns with training in Boston,” the Olympian explained. “I mean, training in Boston is a challenge, but they made me realize that it was definitely doable and that there was a good support system for it.”
The support system proved essential for Drolet, for Harvard’s urban setting presents logistical challenges for cross-country skiers. During the winter, when the team is not traveling to races, it skis in Weston, Mass., on a golf course that maintains a trail with man-made snow. In the warmer seasons, the team works to improve its endurance by roller-skiing. However, Harvard Square’s traffic-logged streets sometimes make it difficult to leave on roller-skis directly from campus.
Therefore, to find suitable practice conditions, the team often has to drive to off-campus sites.
“You just have to be able to use your time well and maybe do a little bit of school work in the team van and stuff like that,” Drolet said while explaining how he utilized his time as an undergraduate. “I think if you’re just totally on your own and have to drive yourself places, it would be really, really hard.”
Luckily for Harvard’s skiers, the coaches do the driving, allowing their athletes to relax and get some homework done during the commutes.
“Being able to just show up and have the coaches drive you, so you can maybe work on doing some of your readings or something in the van, really helps make it a little bit more feasible,” Drolet emphasized. The system made it possible for Drolet to balance the academic expectations of his physics and math classes alongside the demands of skiing at an elite level, enabling him to experience the best of both worlds.
During the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Drolet, despite being one of the youngest cross-country skiers competing, helped spur his Canadian team to an 11th-place finish in the 4×10 Relay. Individually, he placed 33rd in the 15-kilometer Classic, 57th in the men’s Skiathlon, and 35th in the 50-kilometer Mass Start race.
“It was a pretty amazing experience,” Drolet said. “Very stressful though. I think the qualification process was really hard since I hadn’t been skiing full-time the year prior.”
Unlike many of his Olympic teammates in 2022, Drolet was not skiing in the World Cup circuit during qualification time. Therefore, he had to go to the Canadian Olympic Trials to secure a spot.
“I basically had one shot in one race to make it,” Drolet explained.
Drolet delivered and nabbed a spot on the team, becoming just the third Nordic skier in Harvard history to compete in the Winter Games and the first to do so since 1984.
While Drolet stressed that his experience in Beijing was incredible, he also described how he is really looking forward to competing in his second Olympic Games this February.
“Compared to last time, I think it’ll be kind of a cool, or a little bit of a different experience,” Drolet explained. “In China, they were super, super strict with COVID-19 regulations, and everything was locked down.”
“You weren’t allowed to leave the village,” the skier added. “We were kind of like in a compound at all times, or at the race side.”
With pandemic protocols now lifted, the Milano Cortina Games will have a very different atmosphere for both the fans and the athletes.
“I am excited to have games where it’s a little more normal,” Drolet said.
The Olympics will be particularly exciting for the Drolet family and their friends, many of whom will make the trip to Italy to cheer not only for Rémi but also for his younger sister Jasmine Drolet. Following in the footsteps of her older brother, Jasmine will also be competing for Team Canada’s cross-country ski team.
From an athletic perspective, Rémi Drolet is looking forward to improving on his performance from 2022. Since graduating, he has been able to dedicate his time entirely to skiing, which he feels has better prepared him to race at the highest possible level.
“I feel like I have a little bit better perspective going into it,” Drolet said. “I don’t know. Last time just ended up being kind of a stressful experience. I didn’t have the best races, I would say.”
“Now, I have a better approach,” Drolet added, “I view it as a good development opportunity.”
Based out of Stratton, Vt., Drolet has been training year-round with a cross-country ski team. He explained that, contrary to many beliefs, he actually dedicates the most hours to his preparation during the summer. Although there is no snow, the summer season provides a great opportunity for Drolet to focus on improving his endurance.
Drolet and his teammates often complete double sessions, logging many hours of cardio during the warmer months. Instead of completely exerting themselves at an all-out sprint, they strive to push for longer sessions, working at a pace that is sustainable for an hour or two.
Then, during specialized training camps, skiers can hone in on specific skills. For example, Drolet’s team sometimes goes to training camps in places like Park City, Utah, where they train in higher altitude conditions, helping them be better equipped to race in mountainous regions.
Drolet’s intense training helped him endure a tough initial day of racing during the Nordiq Canada 2026 Olympic Winter Games Trials in December.
“I actually had a pretty tough first day at the Trials, and definitely underperformed,” Drolet said.
The result was surprising, as the first day of racing was the classic, an event in which Drolet typically is the strongest.
“Usually, that’s the skiing technique I’m a bit stronger at,” Drolet said. “But for whatever reason, I didn’t do super well that day.”
Despite the initial setback, Drolet leaned on his training and rebounded, recording a dominant performance on the second day of the Trials to defend his spot as one of the five men on Canada’s Olympic cross-country roster.
“Fortunately, I managed to pull it back in a major way for the second race and just snag a spot on the team,” Drolet said. “So it’s super exciting and super cool.”
The Olympian’s sister, a Dartmouth graduate and the 2024 NCAA 20-kilometer Classic Champion, was in a similar position during the Trials and was also able to earn a roster spot, making the day nerve-wracking but highly memorable for the Drolet family.
The men’s cross-country ski events at the Milano Cortina Games will take place Feb. 8-21 at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme. While there, Drolet will look to build on his already impressive skiing career with a strong performance in his second Olympic Games.
“I’m really proud to be representing my community and my country and to have the opportunity to go and see how fast I can race,” Drolet said.
—Staff writer Isabel Smail can be reached at [email protected].
