Pfeifer breaks down the Winter Olympics and key Team USA athletes
Wyatt Pfeifer
Antelope Staff
As the Olympic torch relay reaches closer and closer to its destination, the anticipation of the 2018 Winter Olympics continues to grow. This year’s Winter Olympic Games take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the opening ceremony will be held this Friday, Feb. 9 at 5:00 a.m. It can be viewed live on NBCOlympics.com or on the NBC Sports App. Or, you can wait to watch the televised production of the Opening Ceremony, which won’t air until 7 p.m. that night on NBC.
With 90-some countries competing in seven different sports, there are estimated to be around 2,800 participants, including 242 from the United States Team. The United States Team is also the largest athlete delegation for any nation in the history of the Winter Olympics. Team USA looks to make a big push this year in the Winter Olympics after finishing fourth in Sochi in 2014, they have three five-time Olympians, five defending gold medalists and 103 returning Olympians for this year’s games.
Athletes from 31 different states are representing Team USA with the oldest athlete competing at the age of thirty-nine and the youngest competing at seventeen.
One of the athletes to watch for is Team USA’s skier, Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin is a heavy favorite in her four events (slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill) where she has a great chance to take home four gold medals when it is all said and done.
Another member of Team USA to watch out for is the 17-year-old snowboarder, Chloe Kim. Kim looks to become the youngest female snowboarder to take home the gold.
Some of Team USA’s more high-profile Olympians competing are Lindsey Vonn and “The Flying Tomato” Shaun White.
Coming off an injury that kept Vonn from competing in Sochi in 2014, she will be back looks to show why she is the most successful female ski racer in history. Shaun White, who already has two Olympic gold medals, looks to assert his dominance this year after recording his second ever perfect score at the U.S. Grand Prix to secure his spot on the team for this year.
The United States goes into the Winter Olympics with 5-to-1 odds on taking home the most gold medals, sitting only behind Norway and Germany. With the defending Winter Olympic champion nation, Russia, not being allowed to compete this year, Team USA looks like they are going to be in the running to take home the most medals.
While the Opening Ceremony does not start until Friday, you can tune in on Thursday, Feb. 8 to watch the first set of events, which are men’s singles and pairs figure skating, as well as women’s and men’s mogul qualification in freestyle skiing.
Stay warm and watch as much as you want, there are multiple events every day until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25.
