Hello from Milan: Duke Olympian Checks In

Undergrad Eunice Lee, a short-track skater on Team USA, is having a different experience at her second Olympics

A photo of Olympians in Milan
Duke undergrad Eunice Lee, second from right, with Team USA teammates in Milan. Photo courtesy Eunice Lee.

Though she’s at her second Winter Olympics, Eunice Lee feels a bit like she’s experiencing the games for the first time.

The Duke undergrad was a member of Team USA’s short track speed skating team four years ago in Beijing, but athletes were largely restricted then as the world was still working its way out of the pandemic.

“One thing that’s very different from the last Olympics is that there is a lot more emphasis on the entertainment aspect of the Games compared to Beijing,” said Lee, a native of Bellevue, Wash. “Because of the bubble that we were in the last time, it was definitely an isolated environment for the athletes.”

Eunice Lee, photo courtesy U.S. Skating

This time, Lee is soaking it all in. An alternate who did not compete in the 2022 games, she is expected to compete in the women’s 3,000-meter relay, which begins Saturday. Until then, she’s been cheering on her teammates in both short- and long-track skating.

“It’s an incredible experience to be able to watch the teammates I see training every day go out and perform on the Olympic stage, so that’s one thing from the last Games that I was really looking forward to,” she said.

Lee has also had the occasional star-struck moment – like when she met fellow Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the ice dance team that is among the most recognizable faces of these games for American television viewers.

As a first-year Duke student last year, Lee spent much of her time rehabbing an ankle injury while exploring the course catalog. One favorite was a “History of the Present” class that examines the U.S. in a global context over the last 40 years. She also enjoyed a poetry writing workshop. She took a leave of absence now to focus on the Olympics but will be a sophomore when she returns to Durham.

Lee came to Duke in part because her older brother is an alum who spoke highly of the experience. And Duke’s strong programs in biology and chemistry were of particular interest to her.  

“I was torn between what to study once I started undergrad, and Duke’s strengths in both fields that I was interested in pursuing at the time made it easier for me to decide it would be the best place for me,” she said.

When to Watch Eunice Lee

Lee is expected to compete in one or more of the following races, all of which will be televised on Peacock:
 
Women’s 3,000m relay semifinals, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 4 p.m.
Women’s 3,000m relay final B: Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 2:50 p.m.
Women’s 3,000m relay final A: Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 2:59 p.m.