2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics: Fun facts
The 2018 Winter Olympics games, taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea, kicks off in February. From the mascots to who’s competing, here’s a look as some facts about the historic sporting event.
From the only triple axel landed by a female American skater at the Olympics to the USA's first men’s single medal in luge at the Games, U.S. athletes made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Athletes from 92 nations fiercely competed for a chance to stand on those coveted Olympic podiums in Pyeongchang, South Korea. There were 15 different sporting activities and a total of 102 events.
Team USA racked up 23 Olympic medals. Here’s a look at the winning American Olympians.
Gold
Jamie Anderson, women's snowboard slopestyle
Jamie Anderson won her second Olympic gold medal during the women's snowboard slopestyle event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (Reuters/Eric Gaillard)
Team USA’s Jamie Anderson took home the gold in the 2018 Winter Games after she performed in less-than-perfect weather conditions.
"I was trying to keep the spirits high, like, 'Let's run it,'" the 27-year-old athlete said, according to the Associated Press. "A handful of the girls were like, 'No, it's not safe,' and things like that. It's not like what we're doing is safe, anyhow."
Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall, women's cross-country skiing
Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall made history by winning the United States' first women's cross-country skiing medal – and it was gold. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
The U.S. women’s cross country team won its first ever medal – and it was gold.
Led by Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall, the women’s team pulled off a huge upset and won the Olympic event, beating out the Swedes and Norwegians.
The women’s historic win comes more than 40 years after Bill Koch won the only other Olympic medal in cross-country skiing – silver.
Red Gerard, men's snowboard slopestyle
Red Gerard, of the United States, smiles after winning gold in the men's slopestyle final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
The conditions for the men’s snowboard slopestyle were less than ideal, but 17-year-old Red Gerard made it through the swirling winds to capture the United States’ first gold medal of the 2018 Olympics.
Gerard reportedly overslept before his event because he stayed up too late watching Netflix and had to borrow his roommate’s jacket when he couldn’t find his own. Still, Gerard, the underdog, overcame the odds and made it to the top of the podium with a score of 87.16.
Chloe Kim, women's snowboard halfpipe
Chloe Kim of the U.S. celebrates after she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal. (Reuters/Jorge Silva)
At 17, Chloe Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal during the Winter Games. Kim dominated two amazing runs on the women’s snowboard halfpipe, earning her the first place spot on the medal podium.
Kim’s Olympic dreams were realized with a special family member cheering her on in person – her South Korean grandmother. Kim’s parents emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea, making her Olympic debut in Pyeongchang all the more special.
Mikaela Shiffrin, women's giant slalom
Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates her gold medal after placing first in the women's giant slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Mikaela Shiffrin trailed the competition after her first ride down the slope but powered through her final run to take the top time and win the women's giant slalom, her second career Olympic gold medal.
The 22-year-old won her first gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the women’s slalom.
David Wise, men’s halfpipe
Gold medal winner David Wise, of the United States, reacts to his run during the men's halfpipe final. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
With the most technically precise run ever seen in the sport of halfpipe skiing, David Wise won the gold for the U.S. He scored a 97.2 in the event, beating out his American counterpart.
Four years ago, Wise won gold on the halfpipe in the Sochi Olympics.
Shaun White, men’s snowboard halfpipe
Gold medallst Shaun White of the U.S. on the podium. (Reuters/Eric Gaillard)
Winning his third Olympic gold medal, snowboarder Shaun White made history in the 2018 Games as he scored America’s 100th Winter Games gold medal.
“The Flying Tomato” is the first American male to win gold in three different Winter Games as well; he won his previous two medals in Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010.
White, 31, had a near perfect score of 97.75 on his final run on the halfpipe. He started off strong on his first run, but fell on his second of three attempts.
Team USA, women’s hockey
The United States hockey team celebrate with their gold medals after beating Canada in the women's gold medal hockey game at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In a dramatic shootout, the United States women's hockey team defeated rival Canada 3-2 to win their first gold medal since 1998.
American Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson broke the deadlock in the shootout’s sixth round and goalie Maddie Rooney stuffed the last two Canadian shooters to clinch the victory.
Team USA, men’s curling
Alternate Joe Polo of the U.S. and his teammates, lead John Landsteiner, second Matt Hamilton, vice-skip Tyler George, and skip John Shuster pose with their gold medals during the victory ceremony. (REUTERS/John Sibley)
John Shuster, Tyler George, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner and Joe Polo led the underdog Americans to their first-ever gold medal in men’s curling, upsetting Sweden in a 10-7 victory.
Schuster was also a part of the 2006 Turin bronze medal team—the U.S.’s only other medal in the sport.
Sweden, the reigning world champion, finished second and Switzerland placed third.
Silver
Jamie Anderson, women's snowboarding big air
Jamie Anderson won silver during the women's big air snowboarding event. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Her second medal win of the Games, Jamie Anderson clinched a silver medal during the big air event in the second week of the Games. The Team USA snowboarder was in first place until Austria's Anna Gasser's final run.
The silver is Anderson's third Olympic medal.
Alex Ferreira, men’s halfpipe
Silver medalist in the men's halfpipe Alex Ferreira, of the United States, poses during the medals ceremony. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Coming in behind his American teammate, Alex Ferreira won silver in the Olympic men’s halfpipe event. He had led in the event after the first two runs, but was unable to beat David Wise’s third run score.
Ahead of the Olympics, Ferreira and Wise got matching tattoos of the Pyeongchang Games logo.
Lauren Gibbs and Elana Meyers Taylor, women's bobsled
Driver Elana Meyers Taylor, left, and Lauren Gibbs, right, of the United States won silver in women's bobsled. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Driver Elana Meyers Taylor and brakeman Lauren Gibbs took silver in women's bobsled -- coming in second to Germany's Mariama Jamanka and Lisa Buckwitz.
It was Meyers Taylor's third Olympic medal: she nabbed silver at the 2014 Games in Sochi and bronze at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Jamanka and Buckwitz, her brakeman, finished their four runs in 3 minutes, 22.45 seconds. Meyers Taylor and Gibbs were second in 3:22.52, the 0.07-second margin is the closest between first and second in any Olympic women's bobsled race.
Nick Goepper, men's freestyle skiing slopestyle
Nick Goepper took silver in the men's freestyle skiing slopestyle event. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Nick Goepper added a silver medal to the bronze he won four years ago in Sochi. Goepper, now 23, fought depression and went to rehab in the wake of those Games, USA Today reported.
"I came to this Olympics wanting a different color, wanting the gold, but coming away with the silver is so thrilling,” he said while speaking to ABC News. "I couldn't be more stoked."
Norwegian skiier Oystein Braaten and Canadian skiier Alex Beaulieu-Marchand won the gold and bronze medals, respectively.
John-Henry Krueger, men's 1,000-meter short-track speedskating
John-Henry Krueger took silver in the men's 1,000-meter short-track speedskating event. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
John-Henry Krueger, 22, took silver in the men’s 1,000-meter short-track speedskating event. His win marks the first U.S. speedskating medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics.
Krueger finished second behind Canada's Samuel Girard.
"There were so many thoughts rushing through my head," Krueger said after medaling.
Krueger's win comes four years after he was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Olympic trials because he came down with swine flu.
Kyle Mack, big air snowboarding
Kyle Mack earned a silver medal during the men's big air snowboarding competition. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Canadian snowboarder Sebastien Toutant earned the gold in the men's big air snowboarding event but American Kyle Mack earned the silver medal for his performance. Mack, a Michigan native, joined Toutant and Great Britain's Billy Morgan as the first men to medal in the event, which was debuting for the first time at the games.
Chris Mazdzer, men's luge
Olympian Chris Mazdzer made history for Team USA with his second place finish in the men's luge event. (Reuters/Edgar Su)
Coming in second place, Chris Mazdzer, 29, brought home USA luge’s first men’s single medal in history. He’s also the first non-European athlete to win an Olympic medal in the event.
Mazdzer competed in both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, placing outside of the top 10.
Americans have been second in doubles luge twice.
Mikaela Shiffrin, women’s Alpine combined
The United States' Mikaela Shiffrin smiles after competing in the women's combined slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Mikaela Shiffrin notched her second medal of the 2018 Games, taking home the silver in the women’s Alpine combined. The 22-year-old finished behind Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin.
Shiffrin captured a gold medal in the giant slalom earlier in the Olympic Games, taking her career total to three.
Bronze
Arielle Gold, women's snowboard halfpipe
Despite a dislocated shoulder, snowboarder Arielle Gold came in third place in the women's halfpipe snowboard competition in the Winter Games. (Reuters/Jorge Silva)
Despite a dislocated shoulder, Arielle Gold earned the bronze medal for the United States in the women’s snowboard halfpipe competition – joining her teammate Chloe Kim on the podium.
Gold, 21, similarly injured her shoulder ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, causing her to miss the Sochi games.
Maia and Alex Shibutani, ice dance figure skating
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani won the bronze medal in the free dance figure skating competition. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
American siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani, affectionately known as the Shib Sibs, took home the bronze medal after a near-flawless ice dance free skate, racking up 192.59 points. Canada finished with gold and France with silver.
The Shibutanis squeaked out the bronze finish over teammates Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohuse by just five points.
Brita Sigourney, women's freestyle skiing halfpipe
Brita Sigourney celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the women's halfpipe final. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Brita Sigourney entered the Olympics as one of the top-ranked women skiers and was able to edge out teammate Annalisa Drew for the bronze medal in the freestyle halfpipe.
Canada's Cassie Sharpe won the gold, and France's Marie Martinod won the silver.
Lindsey Vonn, women’s downhill skiing
Bronze medal winner Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the flower ceremony for the women's downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
In what was likely her final Olympic downhill run, Lindsey Vonn took home the bronze medal in women’s downhill skiing. The 33-year-old became the oldest female medalist in Alpine skiing at the Winter Games.
"If you think what's happened over the last eight years and what I've been through to get here, I gave it all and to come away with a medal is a dream come true," Vonn, who missed the 2014 Sochi Games after tearing ligaments in her right knee, said. "You've got to put things into perspective. Of course, I'd have loved a gold medal but, honestly, this is amazing and I'm so proud."
Vonn finished third behind Italy’s Sofia Goggia and Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway, who took home the gold and silver, respectively.
Team USA, figure skating team event
Mirai Nagasu of the United States celebrates after her performance in the women’s free skate during the team competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She became the first American woman to land the triple axel in the Olympics. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
The United States’ figure skating team won the bronze medal – thanks in part to flawless performances from Adam Rippon and Mirai Nagasu.
Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple axel in the Olympics. Rippon landed both of his triple axels.
Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani also propelled Team USA to the podium with their free dance. Teammates Alexa Scimeca-Knierim, Chris Knierim, Nathan Chen and Bradie Tennell also medaled following the event.
Team USA, women's speedskating team pursuit
Americans Heather Bergsma, Brittany Bowe, Mia Manganello and Carlijn Schoutens took bronze for the women's team pursuit event. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Heather Bergsma, Brittany Bowe, Mia Manganello and Carlijn Schoutens took bronze for women's team pursuit. It was Team USA's first Olympic medal in the event since it began in 2006.
Bergsma, Bowe and Manganello defeated Canada to clinch the medal in a B final.
Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Ryan Gaydos, Stephen Sorace, Zoe Szathmary and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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