The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games began on Feb. 9 and we have already seen many of the competitions take place. The athletes in the Olympics compete for medals for their country in 15 separate sporting events. Some of the more notable sports that the Winter Olympics are known for are luge, bobsledding, curling and figure skating. Many of these sports have multiple subcategories associated with them; whether they are male or female sports, and if they are for single athletes or pairs. Here is a rundown of some of Team USA’s most memorable moments from the 2018 Winter Olympics so far.
1. The Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was a huge event across the world due to the unification of North and South Korea under one flag, the 242 American athletes that participated in the ceremony and the country of Tonga’s flag bearer.
2. First gold for team USA of the 2018 Olympics
The first gold metal of the 2018 Winter Olympics went to a 17-year-old snowboarder, Red Gerard, in men’s slopestyle skiing. He has become the youngest American to medal in a snowboarding event at the Olympics.
3. Chloe Kim’s gold medal win
Another landslide gold medal win for USA was when 17-year-old Chloe Kim outdid her first snowboarding halfpipe win, which would have won her gold, had she not outdone her first run of the course. People are saying that, at this point, Chloe Kim is the future of the snowboarding world.
4. Nathan Chen’s epic free skate
Although Nathan Chen had a very rocky start – scoring only 82.27 points in his short program – he ended up with a record score of 215.08 points after attempting six quads and landing five of them, becoming the first man to do so. The 18-year-old did not earn enough points to beat out his fellow competitors and make it to the podium to earn a medal, but he made it very clear to everyone that he will be back to redeem himself.
5. Chris Mazdzer’s luge win
The 29-year-old has made history in the men’s single luge for team USA by being the first American to ever make it to the podium in his event. On Mazdzer’s Instagram, there was a celebratory photo where he called it a “hell of a ride” while thanking all of the people who had supported him in the time leading up to his silver medal.
It seems that 2018 has been the year for many firsts for team USA!