With the Winter Olympics upon us, here’s an overview of the United States’ competing athletes with a superior chance at bringing glory to their country this winter.
Shani Davis and J.R. Celski: With Apolo Ohno out of the speed skating spotlight, the typically reserved and obscure Davis is now the center of attention. Now 31, he is trying to win his third straight Gold Medal in the 1000 meter sprint, and is a heavy favorite to win the 1500. J.R. Celski looks to rebound after a gruesome injury that left him out of the Vancouver Olympics.
Mikaela Shiffrin: Arguably the best slalom skier in the world, sporting three World Cup wins and two in a row, the teenage sensation is looking to steal the spotlight that was formerly on Lindsey Vonn. If she wins at Sochi, she will have become the youngest American alpine skier to win gold at 18 years of age.
Ashley Wagner: Despite recent embarrassment at the Boston World championships, figure skater Ashley Wagner is still the girl to beat. Apparently, she is going to try to execute a triple-triple combination jump in her routine, so keep an eye on the 22 year old.
Bode Miller and Ted Ligety: Bode Miller, the face of the men’s alpine team, already has five Olympic medals and four World Cup Gold’s. However, he might face adversity from another man in red, white, and blue—Ted Ligety. Ligety is a man known to be unbeatable in the giant slalom (winning four straight World Cups dating back to last year). He is coming into Sochi red-hot, and is dangerous on the slopes.
Steven Holcomb: One of many feel good stories for the 2014 Olympics, Holcomb almost retired from bob-sledding due to a degenerative eye disorder that would blind him seven years ago. However, making a dramatic turnaround, he returned to dominating the bob-sled world, taking gold in 2010 and ending a 62 year medal drought for Team USA. This year, he joins Curt Tomasevicz, Steve Langton, and Chris Fogt.
Sources: CBS Sports, ESPN