The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics women from the U.S. competing team are primed and ready to compete. These women to watch will really make you take a good hard look at your life and think, “Wow, and I thought getting out of bed this morning was an accomplishment…” These women are truly inspirational in all of their accomplishments and even in what they have yet to accomplish. Good luck to them at the games this year!
Mikaela Shiffrin
Courtesy: Got Celeb
Mikaela Shiffrin stunned at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games when she took home gold for slalom at just the age of 18, thus securing her title as the youngest slalom champion in Olympic history. Mikaela will be participating in both slalom and giant slalom in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and based on her history, she is expected to win big in both.
Maame Biney
Courtesy: innov8tiv.com
Coming in at only 17 years old, Maame Biney is one to watch this season. She will be the very first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic speed skating team and will be participating in both the 500- and 1500-meter race. What makes her stand out over other competitors? She’s still in high school and her Olympic team trials qualifying time was just short of the world record by one second! If that’s not intimidating, I don’t know what is.
Chloe Kim
Courtesy: Sports By Line
Again, at only the age of 17, Chloe Kim is one of the best to watch for snowboarding. At the young age of thirteen, Chloe competed in the 2014 Winter X Games where she won a silver medal and proceeded to win three gold medals when she participated again two years later. And now, at 17, with a name for herself already made, she will surely not disappoint at her very first Olympics.
Maddie Bowman
Courtesy: Sierra Tahoe
Maddie Bowman is now a two-time Olympian athlete and a 2014 Winter Olympics gold medalist for the freestyle skiing half-pipe. Both of Maddie’s parents were skiers and she followed in their footsteps by ski-racing until finding her true passion in free-skiing. While there are many worthy competitors, Maddie Bowman is still a top gold medal favorite for this year.
Lindsey Vonn
Courtesy: CNN
Lindsey Vonn is one of the most recognized names of the Winter Olympics and in the history of alpine skiing. Lindsey Vonn is now 33 years old and is competing in her fourth Olympics. If that’s not impressive enough, Lindsey has now won four World Cup overall titles, claimed two world championship titles and, during the 2006 Torino Games, she was in a horrific accident while training but still managed to return to the slopes and finish eighth in downhill. Lindsey never fails to dominate on the slopes and has a special wish to tie as the most decorated U.S. female alpine skier alongside former competitor Julia Mancuso.
Bradie Tennell
Courtesy: Mercury News
If you don’t know her name, you might want to learn it. Bradie Tennell has come out of what seems to be thin air as a new Olympic contender in women’s figure skating. After she finished first at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championship for her Cinderella-inspired performance, Bradie procured her spot amongst the two other women on the U.S. women’s figure skating team. At only 19 years old, Bradie is favored to medal this Olympic season.
Erin Jackson
Courtesy: trbimg.com
Another newcomer and I mean really new, like “just qualified for long-track skating after only four months on ice” new, Erin Jackson is sure to surprise. While she has only been on the ice for four months, she was on skates for 15 years as a champion inline skater so it’s no surprise she was able to transition to the ice so smoothly. She’s also the first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic Long Track Speed Skating Team. There’s no doubt Erin will continue to surprise this season, hopefully with a medal.
To learn more about these amazing women, tune into NBC for full coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics and CBS Sports for a closer look at the individual details.