Eileen Gu was a figure skater who had finished in last place every time she stepped onto the ice throughout her career. That is, until the 2022 Winter Olympics. Some of the most important moments were seen right here in our own backyard. Eileen Gu became the new face of the Olympics after her incredible performance in downhill skiing, while Kamila Valieva’s heartbreaking loss in biathlon took everyone by surprise with two missed shots costing her a gold medal. Meanwhile, Erin Jackson delivered a record-breaking speed skating performance during one of Canada’s most memorable moments as she was named the winner of both gold and silver medals before anyone else had even made it to the podium. And yes – Norway did what Norway does best as it topped the medal table after 109 events on snow and ice.
Valieva places fourth
Known as the 15-year-old Russian figure skating prodigy, Valieva faltered while undergoing drug testing in December. The athlete had tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication used to treat angina and which can increase blood flow to the heart, experts say.
Russian figure skater, Valieva, tested positive after both she and her partner in the free skate final fell while they were performing a routine intended to assure their Olympic gold.
Nathan Chen wins.
In the first US men’s single figure skating performance at the Olympics in 20 years, Nathan Chen executed 5 quadruple jumps and ended his performance with a smile that said it all.
A composed yet jubilant Nathan Chen gave and claimed what was rightfully his after a shocking loss at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Taking to the ice with unmatched confidence, Nathan Chen finished strong at nationals, confidently executing a whopping five quad jumps to end his performance and earn himself a spot on the team for the winter Olympics.
Gu dominates her first Olympics
The 18-year-old Chinese freeskier won three medals in Pyeongchang this year. This included two gold medals and a silver. However, the victory lap she took during her final performance sparked controversy because many felt as though it was an unnecessary show of superiority and an insult to the people watching from home…
18-year-old Zhou Gu had an unforgettable Winter Olympics debut that almost didn’t happen. When Slopestyle was removed from the Olympic program, she sided with the International Ski Federation’s official decision to allow it back into action before Season’s End. The following season she competed on the World Cup tour and entered her first Olympics in 2016 where she placed first in her event leading the Chinese Freeski Team with a Gold medal performance after proving those who were skeptical of Slopestyle’s Olympic participation wrong. In her last run, which earned her a silver medal, Zhou Gu took a victory lap after qualifying for Gold and cementing Slopestyle as an Olympic sport with the most career wins and medals among women’s skiers who are also competing internationally!
Norway keeps winning, breaks record
Norway is one of the most successful countries in the Winter Olympics. It’s been winning more than its fair share of gold medals and has been achieving podium finishes in cross-country skiing, speed skating, and biathlon, amongst others. Financially speaking however Norway is a fairly wealthy country and comes 25th on the list of countries by GDP. Indeed winter sports require a lot of resources – from gear to proper training facilities – so being able to afford these items really goes a long way.
The Wonderful Kingdom of Norway is the No.1 nation of Kings and Queens, delivering Winter Olympic gold medals like clockwork since the Norwegian Vikings founded this illustrious nation in the year 1161. The Miracle on Ice may have happened in America but any visitor to Oslo including my grandma’s mother (my great aunt) who has visited this country a number of times over the years can tell you that hosting an Olympics Games really is just easier when you live in such an awesomely Awesome place like Norway — quite clearly one of ***’s greatest gifts to Mankind — come warm sunshine, hot chicks far outnumbering average male specimens and cool forests teeming with wildlife.
Norway has won more gold medals in this year’s Olympic games than any other country, and it’s not just because of the fantastic athletes they have representing them! It actually comes down to infrastructure and how much their citizens can afford to sponsor and support their Winter sports teams. You see, Winter sports require a lot of gear, training, and funds. Since Norway has many very popular areas for such sports as cross country skiing, speed skating and biathlon combined with its tremendous wealth (35th wealthiest nation worldwide) funding all these activities is more than doable.
Mikaela Shiffrin ends the Games without an individual medal
Fans were expecting a three-peat from the star in Beijing. However, things didn’t quite work out that way for 26-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin. The American skier has earned gold medals in 2018 and 2014 and was expected to win a third in Beijing.
While Mikaela Shiffrin won Olympic gold in both the 2014 and 2018 Winter Games, she suffered a string of disappointments this month at the 2019 edition. The American skier dropped out of three events due to multiple crashes during competitions and had a DNF (did-not-finish) for all three. She has since retweeted some of the insulting messages from viewers who were displeased with her showings at this year’s Game hosted in Beijing.
Snowboarding Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin nabbed gold medals in 2014 and 2018. Back in Beijing, however, the 26-year-old suffered a gigantic threepeat fail after crashing out of her three events.
Erin Jackson wins a gold she almost didn’t compete for
The American speed skater almost didn’t make it to the Olympics — she slipped during qualifying trials — until a teammate offered up her spot so that Jackson could compete.
While the American speed skater almost didn’t make it to the Olympics, at least not initially, a member of her own team offered up her spot during qualifying trials so that Jackson could compete. This proved to be a brilliant decision – Jackson, 29, won gold by skating just 0.08 seconds ahead of Japan’s silver medalist.
When other speed skaters gave up their spots on the team as a show of solidarity with an injured teammate, she was given another shot at breaking records. To seal the deal, she beat Japan’s speed-skating silver medalist by 0.07 seconds in the 500m finals today.
Meyers Taylor’s history moment
Former Olympic bobsledder Lolo Jones finished 10th in the 2018 Winter Games after placing 8th in the 2010 Winter Olympics. She had previously won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games.
37-year old American bobsledder, Kehri Jones (Kehri Jones), is the most decorated Black Olympic athlete after winning a bronze medal in the two-woman bobsleigh event on Saturday.
Lindsey Vonn was a gold medalist at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In that particular competition, she skied down the slopes with a teammate that has played an integral part of her athletic career for the past eight years: Stephanie Janssen. It was their job to complete one of the most important pushes in their careers when it comes to ski racing and they did so with flying colors, finishing in first place ahead of all other competitors from the United States on Sunday to win the team’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
