Team USA Gold Medal Hopefuls For 2022 Winter Olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin: Alpine Skiing
The two-time Olympian and three-time medalist is a hopeful to win the slalom events in Beijing. Previously the youngest slalom gold medalist, the now 26-year-old is coming off a gold and silver medal performance in 2018. Shiffrin recently notched her 47th world cup slalom victory, which launched her into first place all-time for most career world cup victories in a single discipline.
Chloe Kim: Snowboarding
The 21-year-old snowboarding prodigy launched herself into celebrity status after her gold medal run in 2018. Since then, Kim was named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and is still at the top of her game — working hard at her craft to be competition ready for Beijing. While Kim has been focused on her studies at Princeton University for the last few years, she took a leave of absence for the fall to concentrate on the Olympics and is expected to be the top female snowboarder this Olympics.
Jessie Diggins: Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins was a gold medalist in 2018 for the team sprint freestyle, as well as a top-10 finisher in five other events. Diggins was a fringe podium finisher for many events in 2018, so the hope is that Diggins will put it all together this year as a seasoned Olympian, with Beijing being her third Olympic appearance. Diggins is coming off of a solid Tour de Ski season, where she finished eighth after leading late in the season.
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Jamie Anderson: Snowboarding
With gold and silver medal performances in 2018, Jamie Anderson is looking to bring home more hardware this year. Anderson is the most decorated woman in the history of the X Games and just recently added to her record with two more medals this year. There is no doubt that Anderson has cemented herself as a legend in the sport and will look to add to her already enormous resumé.
Erin Jackson: Speed Skating
Making her second Olympics appearance, Erin Jackson has made steady progress since 2018 to become one of the top speed skaters in the world. In the last year, Jackson has won six world cup medals, including four gold medals, and also became the 500-meter national record holder for the U.S. Jackson will look to add to a productive 2021-2022 season with an Olympics appearance in multiple events for Team USA.
Elana Meyers Taylor: Bobsled
The three-time Olympian is familiar with what it takes to make an Olympic podium after securing the bronze medal in 2010, and the silver medal in both 2014 and 2018. This past year, Meyers Taylor has won the two-woman bobsled World Cup, was a monobob World Series gold medalist, and was a monobob World Cup silver medalist, only finishing 0.04 seconds behind first. With such versatility and experience, Meyers Taylor will be an exciting athlete to keep an eye on throughout the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
**For more information on the Team USA gold hopefuls and more Olympic favorites, check out this feature here.**
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