This article was written by Yasmeen Altaji, class of 2019.
Early February marked the start of an astonishing (and freezing) week of athleticism and national pride. As the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang come to an end, here are some highlights from internationally revered event.
1. North and South Korea Unite! Well, sort of.
The North Korean and South Korean teams marched together under one flag at the opening ceremony. South Korea’s unification ministry stated that the nations have also agreed to form a joint North and South Korean women’s ice hockey team for the Olympic Games. This marked a warm start to a frigid period of winter sports.
2. Saying Nope to Dope
The IOC upheld a ban on 47 Russian athletes and coaches, voting just hours before the closing ceremonies that the Russian team, which had been competing as “Olympic Athletes from Russia,” would not be allowed to fly their flag at the ceremonies on account of the team’s confirmed history of doping.
3. In PyeongChang, some American history
American figure skater Mirai Nagasu became the first U.S. woman to land the triple Axel in the Olympics. Nagasu earned a bronze medal for her performance. Meanwhile, 18-year-old figure skater Nathan Chen, who was expected to dominate the Olympics, instead executed a stumble-ridden performance. However, he made a swift comeback during his free-skate, landing five of his six attempted quadruple jumps, winning the free skate and finishing fifth overall.
4. Bringing Home the Hardware
Team U.S.A. left the games with a total of 23 medals: nine gold, eight silver, and six bronze.
Gold Medalists:
Shaun White, men’s half-pipe
Chloe Kim, women’s half-pipe
Jamie Anderson, women’s slopestyle
Redmond Gerard, men’s slopestyle
Mikaela Shiffrin, women’s giant slalom
David Wise, men’s Halfpipe
Women’s Cross-country Sprint Team
Women’s Ice Hockey Team
Men’s Curling Team
Silver Medalists:
Kyle Mack, men’s Big Air
Jamie Anderson, women’s Big Air
Mikaela Shiffrin, women’s Alpine Combined
Alex Ferreira, men’s Halfpipe
Nick Goepper, men’s Slopestyle
John-Henry Krueger, men’s 1000m Speed-skating
Chris Mazdzer, men’s Luge
Women’s two-man Bobsleigh team
Bronze Medalists:
Arielle Gold, women’s half-pipe
Lindsey Vonn, women’s Downhill
Brita Sigourney, women’s halfpipe
Ice Dancing Team
Figure Skating Team
Women’s Speed-skating Team
