On February sixth, the 25th Winter Olympic Games will be held and ignited by the celebratory torch lighting ceremony in Milano Cortina, Italy.
This upcoming Winter Games will feature 16 different sports, with fan favorites like alpine racing, figure skating, and ice hockey, but also some of the more niche sports like bobsleigh and curling.
The whole world should be on the lookout for Team USA’s Men’s and Women’s figure skating teams.
On the men’s side, Ilia Malinin has a promising chance at gold, as he’s been dubbed the “Quad God” because of his reputation for nearly perfect quads, in addition to landing the first quadruple axel.
On the Women’s side, 20-year-old Alysa Liu is attending her second Olympic Games, after a 2 year break from the sport, helping lead Team USA with a new spunky spin on the sport.
Additionally, Amber Glenn is turning heads as one of the favorites in Women’s Figure Skating. If she’s able to pull it off, she would be the first woman since Sarah Hughes in the 2002 Olympic Games to win an individual gold medal in Women’s Figure Skating.
Additionally, our Men’s Ice Hockey team is on the hunt this year, composed of many NHL stars like Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, and Matthew Tkachuk. These men are looking to avenge the USA name after a heartbreaking loss in the 2022 Quarterfinals to Slovakia. Team USA has a promising chance at making it all the way.
“I’m probably going to watch Ice Hockey because it’s interesting and fast paced,” Jude Westra ‘28 said.
Headliner, Lindsey Vonn, is making a comeback after returning to the sport of alpine ski racing as a 41-year-old. After an almost five-year hiatus due to a knee injury, Vonn is deemed a top competitor and favored to give the youthful competition a run for their money. Experience is on her side.
“I’ll tune in to watch Mikaela Shiffrin who is one of the most decorated ski racers of all time, and Lindsey Vonn for sure” Willa Norden ‘28 said.
Mikaela Shiffrin and Vonn demonstrate that skiing is a lifelong sport. They both depict that age doesn’t define idols and heroes, instead hard work and dedication earn the utmost respect.
Although entertaining, the Olympic Games are important to capture the talented individuals around the world, to inspire future athletes to strive for more.
