15 Team USA Olympians to Watch at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games
Jan 30, 2018
The 2018 Winter Olympics are almost here! Set to take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, from Friday, February 9, until Sunday, February 25, this year's Games are sure to turn athletes you might not yet know into proven Olympic heroes. Before the festivities start, check out some of the Team USA competitors who are looking to create those memorable moments to get you through the rest of winter. These 15 athletes are definitely ones to watch at the 2018 Winter Games.
(Above: Mikaela Shiffrin, Nathan Chen, Jamie Anderson, and Shani Davis; Photos via Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images + Koki Nagahama/Getty Images + Matthew Stockman/Getty Images + Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
Jamie Anderson, snowboarding: Anderson made her mark on Team USA and the Olympics at large when, at the Sochi Games in 2014, she won gold in the first-ever slopestyle competition. (Photo via Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
She's remained a fierce competitor in the World Championships since, and will be a favorite at PyeongChang 2018. (Photo via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Nathan Chen, figure skating: The 18-year-old phenom has already broken records in 2018. During his performance at the US Championships in January, he became the first male figure skater ever to land five quadruple jumps. (Photo via Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
He's hoping to end a seven-year medal drought for US men's figure skating, and is a strong favorite for the gold. (Photo via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Kelly Clark, snowboarding: Clark is one of the most decorated snowboarders in US history, with three medals — including one gold for her half-pipe performance in 2002 — to her name. (Photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PyeongChang will be her fifth consecutive Olympics, and, as a seasoned vet, she'll have her eyes on another major win. (Photo via Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Shani Davis, long-track speed skating:In 2006, Davis had the honor of becoming the first Black man to win gold for Team USA in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games. (Photo via Harry How/Getty Images)
Like Kelly Clark, he'll be competing in his fifth consecutive Olympics, and hopes to add to his significant collection of two gold and two silver medals. (Photo via Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
Meghan Duggan, hockey: Duggan was a member of the silver medal-winning US hockey teams at the Sochi Games in 2014 and the Vancouver Games in 2010. (Photo via Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Though the Canadians are always tough competition on the ice (their gold medal in 2014 was their fourth straight), she and her team hope to give the Americans another shot at the top spot in PyeongChang. (Photo via Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Gus Kenworthy, skiiing: Though Kenworthy skied — and won silver — at Sochi in 2014, the 26-year-old has found a whole new level of confidence in his sport since coming out as gay in 2015. (Photo via Harry How/Getty Images)
His stint in PyeongChang will make him only the second openly gay man to compete for Team USA. (Photo via Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Chloe Kim, snowboarding: At just 17 years old, Chloe Kim is competing in her first Olympic games — though skills qualified her for Sochi in 2014, her age disqualified her (she was only 13 at the time, and 15 was the minimum requirement). (Photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Considered the favorite for the gold at this point, she's sure to be a breakout star. (Photo via Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Elana Meyers Taylor, bobsled: Although a silver Olympic medal is an incredible accomplishment, when Taylor won hers as pilot in 2014, it only made her vow to come back and go for the gold. (Photo via Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
She also previously won bronze as a push athlete at the Vancouver Games in 2010. (Photo via Matthias Hangst/Getty Images For IBSF)
Adam Rippon, figure skating: In early January, Rippon became the first openly gay man to qualify to represent the US at the Winter Olympics. (Gus Kenworthy qualified later in the month.) But that milestone probably isn't the only reason you recognize his name: He recently got into a public spat with US Vice President Mike Pence after making it clear that he doesn't agree with the decision to have the VP lead the delegation. And in December, he publicly (and hilariously) addressed questions as to whether his butt is, in fact, real. Spoiler: It is. (Photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PyeongChang will be his first Olympics — and he's one to keep your eyes on. (Photo via Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
Alex and Maia Shibutani, ice dancing: Though they placed ninth while competing in the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the brother-and-sister ice dancing team have ascended to take home silver and bronze in the 2016 and 2017 World Championships, respectively. (Photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Their trajectory isn't the only thing that makes them ones to watch, though: They adorably call themselves the "Shib-Sibs," and are known to use modern music in their routines. (Photo via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing: When Shiffrin won gold in slalom at the Sochi Games in 2014, she was just 18 years old, making her the youngest winner of the event in Olympic history. (Photo via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
She's considered the best in the slalom game and is ready to slay the slopes once again this year. (Photo via Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Bradie Tennell, figure skating: In just two short seasons, Tennell went from being a virtual unknown on the international figure skating stage to taking the top scores in the US championships in January, securing a spot on Team USA for 2018. (Photo via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The 19-year-old's fast ascent makes her one to watch at the PyeongChang Games. (Photo via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Lindsey Vonn, skiiing: No stranger to most Olympics viewers, Vonn, at the Vancouver games in 2010, became the first American woman to win the gold in downhill skiing. (Photo via Harry How/Getty Images)
After injuries forced her to miss out on competing in Sochi in 2014, the celebrated athlete is back and ready to go for gold once again. (Photo via Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Shaun White, snowboarding: White suffered a serious setback in October, crashing on a run and requiring 62 stitches in his face. But the household name is ready to compete again, and after a disappointing medal-less run at the Sochi Games, he's ready for redemption. (Photo via Harry How/Getty Images)
He has two gold medals to his name already, for the halfpipe at Vancouver in 2010 and Turin in 2006. (Photo via Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
