With the Winter Olympic games off to a great start, here are some fierce female athletes to watch for over the next few weeks. These girls kick butt!
1. Ashley Wagner – USA, Figure Skating
Probably the best-known lady on this list, Wagner is THE face of American figure skating. Just last month, she scraped her way onto Team USA after coming in fourth at the U.S. Championships, gaining a spot over the third place finisher Mirai Nagusa. You better believe she’s got something to prove – Wagner will perform an entire new routine in Sochi (which is a HUGE deal). She told The Washington Post the new routine is fitting of her character – “a strong woman who knows what she wants, and she’ll go after it and get it any way that she needs to.” Get it girl!
2. Aja Evans – USA, Bobsled
Evans is practically a newbie to her sport. She competed in track and field in college and only took up bobsledding after she graduated just 4 short years ago. Talk about a natural talent! In the lead up to the games, Evans scored a near perfect 794 out of 800 points on the bobsled combine test… can’t wait to see what she’ll do on the international stage!
3. Julia Mancuso – USA, Skiing
“Super Jules” as she’s called by her teammates is a three-peat Olympic skier. Mancuso will look to add a fourth medal to her collection in Sochi. Does this veteran have what it takes to out-ski the fresh meat? Something tells me this superstar isn’t ready to hand over any medals just yet.
4. Hilary Knight – USA, Hockey
Hilary Knight is one tough cookie. A force to be reckoned with on the ice, Knight has an impressive resume of accomplishments – a national collegiate title from her days at University of Wisconsin, the school’s record for most goals scored EVER, and the most goals scored in the Women’s World Championships in 2009. The only thing missing is Olympic Gold. She was a part of the 2010 team in Vancouver that won silver in a bitter loss against Canada. Knight guarantees another rough game against our neighbors to the north should it come down to the two rival teams, promising to “put the other girls through the boards.” Feisty!
5. Gretchen Bleiler – USA, Snowboarding
Who doesn’t love a comeback story? After suffering a horrific injury while training in 2006 that left her with a broken eye socket and the possibility of blindness, Bleiler has risen from the ashes to become a seasoned X Games vet and a huge name in the snowboarding world. She just placed third at the New Zealand Winter Games this past August and is looking better than ever going into Sochi.
6. Polina Edmunds – USA, Figure Skating
At just 15 years old, Edmunds is the youngest Winter Olympian since Tara Lipinski in 1998. After a breakout performance at U.S. Championships last month and a legendary career at the junior level, Sochi will mark her first-ever international event in the big leagues. Good things come in small packages!
7. Noelle Pikus-Pace – USA, Skeleton
A household name in her sport as the first ever winner of the Overall World Cup in skeleton, Pikus-Pace had seemingly gone into retirement after the Vancouver Games. But she’s back for more in Sochi, and as a serious medal contender no less! The seasoned pro won the World Cup skeleton race this past December and looks to do the same in Russia.
8. Lolo Jones – USA, Bobsled
I know what you’re all thinking… wait! Isn’t this girl a track star?? Why yes she is! Jones competed in the summer Games in the track and field events but makes her Winter Games debut this year in Sochi. Having fallen just short of medals in track in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, Jones is looking unstoppable as a brakeman and push athlete with her bobsled team.