Academic excellence and top sporting performance
The Winter Olympics will take place in Milan-Cortina from 6 to 22 February 2026. This year's event is characterised by a decentralised location concept, a focus on sustainability and the Olympic premiere of ski mountaineering. The German team includes two students from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), Lea Sophie Scholz and Minerva Hase. Both are currently studying psychology and are being supported by the HU's "Study & Top-class Sport" programme to help them combine their academic studies with competitive sport.
Two HU students on the Olympic stage
Lea Sophie Scholz is representing Germany in speed skating. On 14 February, she and her team will compete in the quarter-finals of the team pursuit. In this discipline, three skaters complete a distance of 3,000 metres together, with the time of the last athlete at the finish deciding the classification. Scholz, who already won silver at the 2024 European Championships, will be making her Olympic debut in Italy.
One day later, on 15 February, Minerva Hase will compete in figure skating pairs. Together with her partner Nikita Volodin, she has been one of the top international skaters for years, as shown by her successes such as the European Championship title in 2025 and silver medals at the 2025 World Championships and the 2026 European Championships.
After the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Winter Games will follow from 6 to 15 March 2026, which will be a global event focusing on the sporting inclusion and performance of athletes with disabilities. Humboldt-Universität is supporting Lea Sophie Scholz and Minerva Hase as part of its dual career development programme and wishes both students a successful participation in the competitions.