It’s the last few days of the 2022 Winter Olympics taking place in Beijing, China, and the games, so far, have been filled with victories, controversies, and, of course, sweet moments that are sure to bring tears to your eyes as the athletes make history. Currently in fourth place in terms of total medal count, behind Norway, Canada, and the ROC, Team USA has brought the heat to these snowy arenas.
Watching the 15 unique winter sports has been gripping, to say the least. The event has captivated the news cycle, dominated casual conversation, and spread through social media like wildfire. But, there’s nothing that brings the country together quite like cheering for our athletes, whether they bring home a medal or not.
Here are seven of the best Team USA moments so far in the 2022 Winter Olympics:
Team USA’s Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor have medaled before, both in the two-woman bobsled event, but their individual pushes to win the first ever monobob competition at the Olympic Games were met with several hurdles. This was Humphries’ first time competing for Team USA, leaving the Canadian team after filing a harassment complaint. Taylor, on the other hand, almost missed the chance to compete, testing positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Beijing, having to isolate for days alone in her hotel room, and missing crucial practice time on the course. These obstacles, however, only made their first (Humphries) and second (Taylor) place victories just that much sweeter.
When someone thinks about the Winter Olympic sports, the skeleton probably isn’t the first that comes to mind. In fact, Kelly Curtis wasn’t exposed to the sport until she attended a bobsled program in Lake Placid, NY in 2014, only a year after she first picked up any kind of competitive sled. In 2022, she was the first ever Black athlete to compete in the skeleton event for the U.S. at the Olympics, placing 21st overall.
This week, speed skater Erin Jackson won gold in the 500-meter, becoming the first Black woman to ever win gold in speed skating, and the first U.S. woman to win the event since 1994. Hailing from Florida, Jackson didn’t step foot onto an ice rink until 2016, quickly making her way to the top.
In 2006, Lindsey Jacobellis’ premature celebration cost her the gold medal. Coming up short in 2010, 2014, and 2018, she was eager for a win. In his first Beijing event, Nick Baumgartner finished 10th, leaving him in tears. On February 11, the two athletes teamed up to compete in the mixed team snowboard cross big final, bringing home a well deserved gold for Team USA. This event, along with her victory in the women’s snowboard cross, made Jacobellis the oldest American woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal at 36 years of age. 40-year-old Baumgartner was already the oldest American competing at the 2022 games, and the oldest American snowboarder in Olympic history. After years and years of hard work, the two snowboarders received the redemption they deserved.
Abby Roque made history in Beijing as the first Indigenous woman to compete in Olympic ice hockey for Team USA, and she’s using her voice to advocate for more representation in the sport. “It’s something I do hold responsible to try to make it known and try to make it that other Indigenous girls and boys can play,” she said in an interview. The women’s team finished with silver in the 2022 games.
Although snowboarder Shaun White finished fourth in his fifth, and final, Olympic games, he still has three golds in his name and a very special title: greatest of all time. White’s sportsmanship, athleticism, and spirit are admired by all of his competitors and fans, and he leaves a strong legacy behind at these Olympic games.
As soon as the men’s singles figure skating event started in Beijing, Americans were eager for Nathan Chen to bring home a gold medal. Safe to say… he shattered all expectations. After breaking the world record short program score with a flawless performance to Charles Aznavour’s La Bohème, he brought it all to the free skate, nailing five quads to a medley of Elton John songs. His skating was electric as he glided across the ice infecting the audience, both at home and at the rink, with his energy. The Quad King won it all, and captured our hearts in the process.
As the 2022 Olympic games come to a close, it’s important to look back and remember all of the memories: good, bad, sweet, and sad. And, Team USA had some pretty incredible moments. History was made, and will continue to be made with the 2028 Olympics scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, a home-field advantage for the American athletes. See you in four years Winter Olympics!