1. Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela is a 22-year-old who is known as the best slalom skier in the world. Slalom is alpine skiing that involves skiing in between poles. At such a young age, Mikaela already has a gold medal and three slalom World Championships.
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2. Gus Kenworthy
During the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Gus earned a silver medal for skiing. During this time, Gus had been keeping a huge secret from the world. Shortly after this, in 2015, Gus revealed to the world that he was gay during an interview with ESPN. Now Gus is readier than ever to compete South Korea, but this time—as himself!
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3. Chloe Kim
At just 17, Chloe Kim is competing in the Winter Olympics for her expertise in snowboarding. In the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Chloe actually did qualify but could not participate because she was too young! If she receives a medal, Chloe will become the youngest American to win an Olympic medal in snowboarding.
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4. Jamie Anderson
In 2014, during the Winter Olympics, 27-year-old Jamie scored herself a gold medal for snowboarding. When Jamie was 17, she had a bad accident and ruptured her spleen. The recovery process gave Jamie a new appreciation for her body and used that appreciation to help motivate herself in order to prepare for this year’s Winter Olympics.
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5. Alex and Maia Shibutani
Alex and Maia, who are also known as the “Shib Sibs.” In 2004, Alex and Maia teamed up together to start competing as a figure skating duo. Together, they have won a ton of medals at national championships (including two first place medals!) In Sochi, they finished in ninth place and are ready to do even better this year!