Every four years, diplomats and leaders from countries across the world gather in a snowy place to watch a fantastic competition of athleticism and sport also known as the Winter olympics. Tensions were high, emotions ran hot, and competition was strong. The country with the highest number of medals was Norway with 39. Following was Germany with 31, Canada with 29, and finally, the United States with 23.

Last February, the Winters Olympics was in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The United States won an impressive 23 medals, 9 of which were gold. As amazing as that is, some are disappointed. An article on The Atlantic stated, “when you look strictly at the numbers, it’s been a disappointing 2018 Winter Olympics for the United States.” Still, despite the disappointing number of medals, there were many groundbreaking moments this year. For the first time in twenty years, the number of American women that won medals was larger than the number of men. Chloe Kim won a gold medal in the women’s halfpipe at only 17 years old. The U.S. women’s hockey team beat their rival, Canada, and the men’s curling team won their first ever gold against Sweden.

At CHS, The Olympics were a topic of great debate and excitement. “[The] …halfpipe [was my favorite sport] because the tricks they can do… they can go three times around or upside down and not fall!” says CHS student Angel Lepinske. Snowboarding, on the other hand, is a favorite for Junior Annika Jansen, who has “personal experience” with the sport. “I only went once, but it was really fun.” The Olympics might not have been as many hoped, but it was still a fantastic form of entertainment, sportsmanship, and athleticism that everyone can enjoy.

Stats:

• The United States won 9 Gold, 8 Silver, and 6 Bronze.
• The United States won a total of 23 medals.
• 23 is the lowest number of medals the United States has won in the Winter Olympics since the 1998 Nagano Games.
• The United States placed fourth regarding number of medals.

United States Medal Winning Athletes

Snowboard

• Shaun White Men Halfpipe: Gold
• Chloe Kim Women Halfpipe:  Gold
• Red Gerard Men Slopestyle:  Gold
• Jamie Anderson Women Slopestyle:  Gold
• Kyle Mack Men Big Air: Silver
• Jamie Anderson Women Big Air: Silver
• Arielle Gold Women Halfpipe: Bronze

Freestyle Skiing

• David Wise Men Halfpipe: Gold
• Alex Ferreira Men Halfpipe: Silver
• Nicholas Goepper Men Slopestyle: Silver
• Brita Sigourney Women Halfpipe: Bronze

Alpine Skiing

• Mikaela Shiffrin Women Giant Slalom: Gold
• Mikaela Shiffrin Women Alpine Combined: Silver
• Lindsey Vonn Women Downhill: Bronze

Cross Country Skiing

• United States Women Team Sprint Freestyle: Gold

Curling

• United States Men Team: Gold

Ice Hockey

• United States Women Team: Gold

Bobsleigh

• United States Women 2-Men Competition: Silver

Luge

• Chris Mazdzer Men Single: Silver

Short Track

• John-Henry Krueger Men 1000m: Silver

Figure Skating

• Shibutani/Shibutani Mixed Ice Danc:e Bronze
• United States Women Team Pursuit 6 Laps: Bronze

All Olympic Sports

ALPINE SKIING
BIATHLON
BOBSLEIGH
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
CURLING
FIGURE SKATING
FREESTYLE SKIING
ICE HOCKEY
LUGE
NORDIC COMBINED
SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING
SKELETON
SKI JUMPING
SNOWBOARD
SPEED SKATING

Contributions By:

https://www.teamusa.org/PyeongChang-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games/Results/Medal-Table

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/chloe-kims-coronation-is-complete-as-rising-us-star-wins-halfpipe-gold-in-pyeongchang/2018/02/12/f8c4e56a-105c-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.6df12a1168f8

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/with-23-medals-team-usa-falls-short-of-expectations-at-pyeongchang-olympics/2018/02/25/2352ea02-1954-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.html?utm_term=.1db20ef8893f

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/24/588477615/u-s-mens-curling-takes-on-sweden-in-the-gold-medal-final