How Did the US Perform In Beijing?
The curtain has finally come down on an unforgettable two weeks of sporting action at the Winter Olympics. There were many questions before the games surrounding how Beijing would put on a winter spectacle, but overall, it was a thoroughly entertaining event.
Questions surrounding the artificial snow used and the extremely strict covid prevention measures were both prominent points throughout. Despite these bumps, US athletes are proud of their performances over the two weeks of competition.
Large Medal Haul For American Team
Overall, the 2022 Winter Olympics will be remembered as a huge success for the American team. The athletes involved won a total of 24 medals altogether. That represents the US team’s second-biggest medal haul at a games outside of North America. Previously the US team won 25 medals at the Turin Games in 2006. However, there was still some disappointment for a few athletes at the games.
Among those would have been Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who was the leading contender in all five of her events. However, she left Beijing having failed to win a single medal. That was surely a blow for the star who had won gold in each of the last two Winter Games. Elsewhere. The women’s hockey team were favored to win gold, but ultimately needed to settle for second against rival Canada. Additionally, the US men’s curling team were unable to defend their gold and failed to even medal. Despite these disappointments, the US team still finished fourth in the medal table. In total the US team took home eight golds, ten silvers and seven bronze medals.
How Did the US Perform In Comparison To Other Nations?
It was a very competitive Winter Olympics, with more gold medals up for grabs in Beijing than any previous winter games. Excitement levels were high before the start. The US team was looking to beat their record of ten gold medals won at the 2002 Salt Lake City games. Despite not reaching that goal, eight still represents an excellent result. It was the US team’s lowest number of golds since the 1998 Nagano games held in Japan. The US picked up ten silvers, which was their second-most since the 2002 games and their third-most in history.
The US finished fourth in the overall medal table. They earned the same number of gold medals as both Sweden and the Netherlands. They were able to edge them out due to winning more silver and bronze medals. Norway had their most successful Winter Olympics taking home an historic 16 gold medals. Additionally they won eight silver and thirteen bronze medals. Germany finished second with a total of twenty-seven medals, including twelve gold medals. The German team also recorded the only podium sweep at this year’s games. They swept gold, silver, and bronze medals in the two-man bobsledding event.
Meanwhile, host nation China finished in third, winning nine gold medals. That includes two for superstar freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who won the Big Air and Halfpipe. She also added a silver in the slopestyle to help China win four silvers.
Best Performing US Stars
There were several performances that stand out as truly special. The US has a history of emotional stories leading up to the Winter Olympics. Shaun White was one of the standout stars for the American team. A pioneer in the sport of snowboarding, the 35-year-old brought the curtain down on his Olympic career with another fine attempt. White leaves behind an outstanding legacy at the Winter Olympics despite not medaling this year. He has won the most medals by a snowboarder in the history of the sport. His final halfpipe run was one of the most memorable moments from the Winter Olympics.
Figure skater Nathan Chen earned his first Olympic gold this year as well. The 22-year-old went into the games as a three-time world champion, with his most recent title in 2021. He finished with a bronze medal at the 2018 Games, but came back in fine fashion in Beijing. He won silver in the team event, and collected a gold medal in the singles competition.
However, the most significant sporting moment came in the women’s speed skating final. Erin Jackson made history by becoming the first African-American to win a medal in Olympic speed skating. Her gold in the 500m will have a massive impact on the legacy of the games. The 29-year-old will be an outstanding role model for young girls dreaming of making it to the Winter Olympics in the future.