Penn State University: Five Penn Staters set to participate in 2022 Beijing Olympics

Once again, Penn State will be represented on the world stage with the top athletes and coaches as the 2022 Beijing Olympics open Feb. 3. Five participants with Penn State ties will represent two countries in the Winter Games. For exclusive content and information on Penn State’s Olympians, visit GoPSUsports.com’s Olympics website.

The opening ceremonies for the 2022 Beijing Olympics take place on Feb. 4 and the closing ceremonies are Feb. 20.

The first Penn Stater in action will be former Nittany Lion women’s hockey standout Jessica Adolfsson, who is playing for her native Sweden, when the Swedish national team takes on Japan at 3:40 a.m. EST on Feb. 3. Adolfsson is the first Olympian in Penn State women’s hockey history. Following Sweden’s game, Allison Coomey, current Penn State women’s hockey assistant coach, and Aimee Kimball, a Penn State alumna and senior director of team and organizational development for the Washington Capitals, will serve as coaches for the U.S. women’s ice hockey team when it faces Finland at 8:10 a.m. EST. Coomey is serving as a team scout and Kimball is serving as mental skills coach for Team USA. The preliminary rounds will continue through Feb. 8 with the gold medal game taking place on Feb. 17.

On Feb. 10, current Penn State men’s hockey director of operations Alex Dawes and Team USA men’s hockey will open action against China at 8:10 a.m. Dawes is serving as the video coach for Team USA. The preliminary rounds will continue through Feb. 13 with the gold medal game taking place on Feb. 20.

Current Penn State World Campus student Kaitlin Hawayek earned a spot on Team USA along with partner Jean-Luc Baker to compete in ice dance. Hawayek is competing in her first Olympic Games after she and Baker finished third in the U.S. trials in January. Ice dance prelims begin with rhythm dance at 10:35 p.m. EST on Feb. 3, while the free dance is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 6. The ice dance medal will be awarded at 8:15 p.m. EST on Feb. 13.