I’m unashamed to admit that I really, really like watching the Olympics. However, with the seemingly endless events and news every day, it’s hard to keep up with Team USA as they compete in Sochi. Not to worry though, if you feel overwhelmed by the endless coverage…here are some of the highlights so far just in case you missed them:
- The Opening Ceremony was spectacular. If you sat through it (which I did) the show Russia put on to welcome the athletes and the world to Sochi was a good one. There was the now infamous Olympic rings mishap, where the last snowflake failed to transform into the fifth Olympic ring. Unfortunately, only adding to the negative press Russia and surrounding areas have been getting regarding the Olympic games, the man responsible for making the Olympic rings work was actually found dead the next day, and police are investigating the matter now.
- Shaun White settles for fourth place after hoping to bring home another gold medal. Everyone’s favorite redhead snowboarder hoped to add a third gold medal to his collection in Sochi but instead finished fourth in the men’s half pipe competition. He lost the gold to a younger, Swiss-Russian snowboarder nicknamed I-Pod.
- The US men’s slopestyle skiing team swept the podium on February 13, taking home the gold, silver and bronze medals for Team USA. Gold medal winner Joss Christiansen said he was “stoked to be up here with my friends. America, we did it.”
- Figure skating for the first time ever in the Olympics is competed as a team and individual sport now. The team competition took place from February 6-9. Russia took home the gold medal in this first ever, Canada won the silver and the US came in third, taking home the bronze medal.
- Hannah Kearney, a favorite American skier was favored to win the gold medal in women’s freestyle moguls, won the bronze in Sochi, but came under scrutiny when her less-than-thrilled expression about placing third went viral. Kearney later took to Facebook to remind everyone that she was happy to be there and to have received a medal at all.
- What to watch next: The Sochi games aren’t over yet…Here’s what to look forward to toward the end of the winter games
The women’s figure skating (my favorite!) airs February 19 and 20. If you watch nothing else during the Olympics, this event is the one to watch. With Russia’s amazing 15-year-old figure skating prodigy Julia Lipnitskaia threatening Team USA’s adorable first-time Olympian 18-year-old Gracie Gold and America’s dreams of a gold medal, you won’t want to miss this one.
Lolo Jones, the famous former track star from Beijing’s 2012 summer Olympics is back, this time competing for the women’s bobsled team. Jones has come under considerable media scrutiny and has been accused of using her fame to advance her position in athletics, but remains one of USA’s favorite athletes. You can watch her take on Olympic bobsledding for the first time on February 18 and 19.