MIDDLETOWN, CT. -  As announced by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation on Dec. 26, 2025, Wesleyan University women's ice hockey alumna Rei Halloran '23, G'24 will join Team Japan at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, serving as one of three goaltenders for the women's national team.

The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, Feb. 6, in Milan, Italy. While women's ice hockey will begin preliminary rounds the day prior, Japan will open the Games against France in Group B with puck drop at 6:10 a.m. EST on Feb. 6, preceding the opening ceremony at 2 p.m. EST.

Serving as a starting goaltender for a large tenure of her career, Halloran finished her time at Wesleyan with 25 wins. Through 66 games played, Halloran made 1,754 saves, returning a .924 save percentage with 2.20 goals against average.

Halloran becomes at least the fifth Olympian in school history and the first since Kathy Keeler '78 of women's crew. Keeler won gold with the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Other Cardinal Olympians include Bill Rodgers '70 (men's track & field - marathon) in Montreal 1976, Jeff Galloway '67 (men's track & field - 10,000m) in Munich 1972, and Winthrop "Wink" Daverport Jr. '64 (men's volleyball) in Mexico City 1968.

Team Japan's 2026 qualification will mark the fifth straight appearance at the Winter Games for women's ice hockey. Japan finished in sixth place both in 2018 and 2022.