The U.S. and 94 other nations gathered in Pyeongchang County, South Korea, this Feb. 9-25 to compete in 102 different events within 15 different sports. These sports ranged from tricky alpine skiing to intense speed skating, the classic biathlon to the unique sport of curling. In total, there were 2,914 athletes competing, 242 of which were from the United States.
The first event of the Winter Olympics, figure skating, saw several disappointments and under-performances that discouraged the U.S. team members. Eighteen-year-old Nathan Chen was set to be an immediate gold medalist. To the disappointment of his team, he fell four times during his first Olympic performance in the men’s figure skating event, coming in 17th.
Disappointments like these were tough on team members, however, that did not stop the U.S. team from giving all they had. As of Feb. 23, the U.S. had 21 medals, just behind Germany with 25 medals, Canada with 27 and Norway in first with a staggering 37 medals.
The United States struggled to gather traction early on in the Winter Olympic games. However, towards the end, the U.S. was becoming a force to be reckoned with.Though they faced hundreds of talented athletes from several different nations, many of the U.S. athletes managed to pull of some incredible feats. As of Feb. 23rd, the US had eight gold, seven silvers, and six bronze medals.
The U.S.’s first Olympic medal came on February 11 (day two), a gold medal received in men’s slopestyle snowboarding by Redmond Gerard. At age 17, Gerard is the youngest Winter Olympian to receive a gold medal, and he’s the first Olympic medalist born in the 2000s. Later that day, Chris Mazdzer won silver in the men’s singles in Luge.
Feb. 12 gave the U.S. two more medals, this time a gold and bronze. Jamie Anderson won gold in the women’s slopestyle snowboarding event, and the American ice skating team, which included Nathan Chen, won a bronze medal in the team figure skating event.
February 13 gave the U.S. yet another gold and bronze. Chloe Kim won gold in women’s halfpipe snowboarding. At age 17, she is the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal. Arielle Gold then won a bronze medal, competing in the same event.
Feb. 14-15 gave the U.S. one gold medal each. Shaun White won gold on the 14th, competing in the men’s halfpipe snowboarding event. Mikaela Shriffin, a 2014 gold medalist, once again took gold home for competing in the giant slalom alpine skiing event.
Feb. 17-18 each harbored a silver medal for the U.S. John-Henry Krueger, who won silver in men’s 1000 m in short track speed skating. Nick Goepper won silver the next day in men’s slopestyle freestyle skiing event.
Feb. 20 gave the U.S. two bronzes. Alex and Maia Shibutani received one in the ice dancing figure skating event. Brita Sigourney won another in women’s halfpipe freestyle skiing event.
Feb. 21 gave the U.S. a string of medals, consisting of one gold, one silver and two bronze. Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall, the cross-country skiing team, won gold in the women’s team sprint event. Lauren Gibbs and Elana Taylor won silver in the two-woman bobsleigh event.
Lindsey Vonn won the first bronze of the day in women’s downhill alpine skiing event. The women’s speed skating team won the second bronze in the women’s team pursuit event.
The U.S. received a high payout of medals on Feb. 22, receiving two gold and three silver medals. The women’s ice hockey team won the first gold, and David Wise was given the second gold in the men’s halfpipe freestyle skiing event.
The three silver medals went to Mikaela Shiffrin for women’s combined alpine skiing, Alex Ferreira for men’s halfpipe freestyle skiing and Jamie Anderson for women’s big air snowboarding.