The 2018 Winter Olympics have come to a close. For viewers, it was a short two weeks, but for all the athletes that put their heart on the line, it was an experience of a lifetime.
The Olympics is a time of celebration for all the hard work, a chance to display what you can do. For many of the athletes, there were family and friends watching all over the world, providing endless love and support while nervously waiting.
Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall Win First Ever U.S Cross-Country Gold
The drought that the U.S cross-country team faced was broken during this Olympic games by the incredible sprint team duo, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall. The whole race was exciting to watch, however the ending was a nail-bitter as Diggins worked to secure the gold against Sweden, making history for team USA.
Shaun White Takes Back the Gold
The four-time Olympian took back gold in the snowboarding halfpipe finals, after coming short of the podium in 2014. To see this man win in such a challenging field of snowboarders was quite amazing. This Olympic season was most likely his last. To end on a positive note is what all fans of the sport were looking for. Shaun White has contributed a lot to this sport and his performance during this Olympics will not be forgotten.
Ester Ledecka Wins Gold in the Women’s Super-G and Parallel Snowboarding Giant Slalom
All the hours that go into perfecting technique and tactics of one sport is incredibly demanding. Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic commits herself to two sports on a professional level: alpine skiing and snowboarding. Not only did she compete in both events during the 2018 Winter Olympics, but she won gold in both disciplines as well. It was an incredible story and an amazing Olympic journey to follow.
Chloe Kim Wins Gold in Her Incredible Halfpipe Performance
At the age of seventeen, Chloe Kim became the youngest female to ever win gold in halfpipe. Kim had qualified for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, but was too young to compete. After determination and hard work, she qualified for Pyeongchang, showing her talent to the world.
The Unified Korean Team Competes
During these Olympic Games, the nations of North and South Korea stood unified in competition. While this unification only lasted during the games, it was a symbol of peace during the Olympics. This is what the Olympics is all about: forgetting about our differences and just competing in the sports we love.
U.S Women’s Hockey Wins Gold
Team USA Women’s Hockey took their first gold in 20 years. After an amazing shootout, where Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored the winning goal with an incredible fake on the goalie, the team took gold over Canada. This team, full of incredible talent, proved that through perseverance and working together, athletic dreams do come true.
Mark McMorris’s Comeback
Not many people can fully recover to their highest potential after serious injury. In 2017 during a backcountry outing, McMorris fractured his jaw, arm, ribs, pelvis, ruptured his spleen, and collapsed a lung. His accident occurred nine months prior to these Olympics, but Mark McMorris, a Canadian snowboarder, made an amazing comeback to take bronze in the slopestyle at Pyeongchang. Even with these life-threatening injuries, he still fought his way back to the professional circuit.
(Photo credits: LA Times, sportingnews.com, USA Today, Time Magazine, Deseret News, NBC News, Variety)