2018 Olympic Games: Women Take the Gold

This year’s Olympic games in PyeongChang was quite the remarkable year for women representing the United States. As a whole, these women dominated in their events, and came out elated with accomplishment and gold. 

Some people may not have noticed or even wonder how this years games are different for women from the games in the past. But there are various elements that make this year’s events utterly groundbreaking. To start off in this year’s winter games, women were the leaders and held the most amount of medals won for the United States ending with 12/21 medals in total and ⅝ gold medals. This is the first time that this has happened in any summer or winter games since 1998, which believe it or not has been a whole whopping 20 years!

With all of the accomplishments that swept across the board by these amazing and talented women, the Olympians themselves were excited for each other, and recognized what a remarkable year this was for women in the United States. Elena Meyers Taylor who won the silver medal in bobsledding said, “To win our medal on the same day as some of these incredible women, it was, yes girl power, women roar, it was such a magical day.” Having women in the Olympics speak out about how amazing each of them are speaks wonders to the young girls and women at home watching them on television accomplishing their dreams. They have become a beacon of strength and respect in our country which is such an amazing landmark for every generation.

In this year’s games, there were 7 women who simply amazed and left the world with their mouths open at their one of a kind and astounding performances. There was Mirai Nagasu who was the third person ever to land a triple axel in figure skating, as well as Chloe Kim who is only 17 years old and placed first in women’s snowboarding coming out as the youngest ever gold medalist. On the opposite end of the spectrum there is Lindsey Vonn who is now a 4 time Olympian, and is the oldest female Alpine skiing medalist in Olympic history.

Another woman who made history this year was Jamie Anderson who took home the gold in slopestyle and the silver in big air, which is amazing in itself but also because she is now the first female snowboarder to take home two Olympic medals from one Olympic games. As quoted earlier, there is Elana Meyers Taylor who won the silver, and has become one of the most decorated US Olympic bobsledders, having three Olympic medals total. Finally, there is Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall who broke the U.S’ 42 year old cross country skiing medal drought, becoming the first American women to ever win a medal (more specifically they won the gold) in this event.

All of these fantastic women broke history, accomplished their dreams, and are able to be such bright and positive examples to the entire world of what women are capable of. This year was quite the table turner for women really proving themselves and their capabilities to the rest of the world that they are just as talented, just as hardworking, and just as driven as anyone else. Watching this year’s games should not just inspire the Snowboarders and skiers in this world but any girl or woman. Any dream that you have, any passion that burns in your heart should be chased, and can very well be achieved, as these women have shown.

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