The 2018 Olympic games are officially underway! Athletes, in shape, more than ever in their lives, are prepared physically, mentally, emotionally to bring home the gold for the USA Team! Go, USA! With that said, who are you cheering on? Whose names will you call out as they skate, ski, and snowboard to the finish lines? Hummmm, if you are like myself (yes, as we hang our heads in shame), maybe, you, too, are not quite sure for whom to cheer? Check out this article and video by Time magazine entitled "What to Know About Every Single Winter Olympic Sport in 2018" and expand your background to be better prepared to cheer on the winners.
According Jennifer Calfas, author of this Time article, states, "When she was just 18, [Mikaela] Shiffrin became the youngest athlete ever to win an Olympic gold in the Winter Olympic sport of slalom — an event that involves skiing downhill between poles and gates — a gold medal she’s trying to earn yet again at age 22." Go, MiKaela! I can only imagine the time, money and effort spent preparing for such an event. AND the chapstick! Spending so many hours outside, braving the elements of wind and cold, training every day, every week every month, she knows she has to be the best to win. Only the best make here.
Check out Elana Meyers Taylor! "Meyers Taylor was the first American woman to ever win a bobsled world championship in 2015. The two-time Olympic medalist has also advanced gender equality in the sport...competed in the 4-man event with three male brakemen, a first for the Winter Olympic sport that had required women to race only two-person sleds." Go, Elana! Show those men how to win! She should be the face of women's rights...not those that march here in America and display posters and paraphernalia that borders on inappropriate!
As I read further, I was amazed at competitions of which I had never heard. Luge? Nordic Combined? Skeleton? Have you heard of these? More than just reading about these events, I need to allocate some hours to watching these events...and, yes, learning what they actually are! I am fairly certain that, surely, the Skeleton does not involve bones. Right?! Surely!
My favorite Olympian sport? The ice skaters...especially the pairs, who act out scenes to songs I hopefully know. The balance, grace, and smooth moves these couples display as they circle that ice rink leave me in awe of their skills. In essence, they are just gifted. Truly.
How about you? Are you an Olympian watcher? Why do you enjoy your favorite competition? On the flip...are the athletes giving up too much just to compete for a few short minutes of time? Why is the time spent from family and friends worth the fame? Consider this: the games are not so much for the athletes as they are for the competitions and displays of athletic power displayed by all the countries represented. What do you think? Please share your thoughts below!
