Every four years, the Olympics are held in a different country and bring together nations of the world. The theme of togetherness is portrayed by the good sportsmanship that the teams have while competing against each other for Olympic medals. During the opening ceremony, billions of television viewers watch celebrations of the diverse teams proudly walking in small masses as each country’s name is announced. Not only do the Olympic athletes confidently stride along the path of this traditional first glance of greatness, but they also look fashionable while doing so. For the past four Olympics, Ralph Lauren has designed original collections for the athletes to wear. Red, white, and blue in the form of knitted reindeer and a splash of stars and flags make up this year’s wardrobe. For all the competing nations, the games are a beautiful way to show off the magnificence of every country and their top competitors.
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics has been telecasting live over the past two weeks on NBC. Events such as alpine skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, speed skating, ice skating, and ski jumping took place each day from February 7th – 23rd. Even though there have been a few incidents with bad living conditions, (U.S. bobsledder Johnny Quinn was stuck in a bathroom, then an elevator), the races must go on.
Some of the highlights of the games included American hopefuls fulfilling their well-earned dreams of claiming Olympic medals. On February 14, the men’s free-ski slopestyle competition took place, challenging each athlete to fly high, rotate fast tricks, and land softly. The results of this event made something that has only ever happened two other times in the history of the Olympics—a sweep of the podium. Three young American competitors, Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy, and Nick Goepper dominated this event. This event is brand new to the games, and marks an amazing accomplishment for these young athletes.
Another American highlight included the long anticipated silver medal that Noelle Pikus-Pace deserved in the skeleton competition. Back in 2005, an accident involving a bobsled ended her chances to compete in the 2006 Olympics, and in 2010, she narrowly missed her shot by a tenth of a second. Overcoming all obstacles, she was able to win a silver medal and end her Olympic career on a very high note.
Snowboarding is a favorite among Americans, with champion Shaun White a thrill to watch. Unfortunately, he completed the men’s half pipe empty handed. On the flip side, it was a win for Jamie Anderson on February 9 who won a gold medal thanks to some “mantra beads” and a seriously explosive run on the snowboarding course. And how’s this for woman power? She is the first female to place gold in women’s slopestyle. A blonde native Californian, she flashed a peace sign and told interviewers about her cool hippie lifestyle. Radical.
Despite a few setbacks, Sochi has been a great spectacle for podium domination, comebacks, and well-deserved awards.