It’s been nearly a decade since the International Olympic Committee formally made gender-balanced participation a goal. With the introduction of women’s monobob, women’s big air freestyle skiing as well as the addition of four mixed-gender events, the IOC is finally seeing progress; Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics was the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics in program history.
Standing at a modest 5 feet, 3 inches, Allison Cheng doesn’t intimidate at first glance. You’ll often find this friendly child studies and human development major conducting research in the Kaplan Lab or working in the music department. However, once equipped with a fencing foil and jacket, you won’t want to mess with this former Junior Olympics participant.
As fall sports resumed this season, the question on many athletes' minds was how the effects of COVID-19 would still be felt. For Tufts women’s soccer, that question is a complicated one. Though spectators are now permitted at games, and athletes are no longer required to wear face masks while playing, the last time the team competed together was fall 2019. That was junior goalkeeper Ella Frantzen’s first year at Tufts and on the team.
Among Tufts University’s talented incoming class, only one first-year has“2x Olympian” in her Instagram bio. That student is Gaurika Singh, an 18-year-old swimmer that proudly represented Nepal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and returned as the nation’s flag bearer this past summer in Tokyo.
Imagine a long stretch of sand basking under a bright sun, with picturesque lighthouses dotting the distance. Whether she’s reading a book on the beach or wading in the water, Tufts graduating senior lacrosse attacker Catherine Lawliss has her happy place in Nantucket, Mass. Perhaps this is where we’ll find Lawliss this summer after she and her senior teammates lead the women’s lacrosse team to what will hopefully be another deep NCAA tournament run.
This week, we’re celebrating a series of firsts: the first American to medal four times at the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Championships, the first U.S. athlete to win the cross-country Tour de Ski and the first American woman to take home the FIS Cross-Country Ski World Cup. Remarkably, all of these accomplishments can be attributed to one athlete: cross-country skier Jessie Diggins.
How does one cope when the very thing that brings them joy becomes a source of stress? Paralympic track star Deja Young’s story is one incredible example of overcoming adversity, prioritizing mental health and rediscovering joy in competition.
It’s nearly impossible not to be dazzled by the team’s display of grit and sheer excellence. Plus, with superstar try scorer Portia Woodman, it’s no wonder the Ferns are one of the best teams in the world.
Now, with two gold medals and a bronze from her impressive 2021 X Games debut — becoming the first woman to medal three times as a rookie — all eyes will be on her at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Even if you barely follow tennis, chances are you may have come across the 23-year-old sensation at some point. Her victory over Serena Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final thrusted her into the national spotlight, and she’s only been adding to her titles since then.
