Quinnipiac University women’s ice hockey player Jade Barbirati is preparing to represent France at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, marking the first time the French women’s hockey team has qualified for the Olympics.
Barbirati, 22, has been playing ice hockey since she was 5 years old, and is now set to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I play ice hockey since I’m 5 years old, so it’s been a long time,” Barbirati said.
Her introduction to the sport came at a young age after watching her older sister skate, an experience that sparked her own interest in hockey.
“My older sister was going on the ice with her school, and I was younger so I was not playing a sport,” Barbirati said. “I saw skating and was like, ‘I want to skate.’”
Barbirati has already built an impressive international résumé with Team France.
She helped the team win a gold medal at the Ice Hockey World Championship in 2021 and followed that performance with a bronze medal finish in 2023.
“It’s a really good experience,” Barbirati said. “You play many countries and every game is different.”
In her first season with Quinnipiac, Barbirati has quickly emerged as one of the team’s top contributors, making an immediate impact for the Bobcats.
With six games remaining before the 2026 Winter Olympics, Barbirati said she is focused on staying present and taking the process one step at a time.
“For athletes, the Olympics is a dream, and it’s coming true,” she said. “It’s incredible.”
