Five Olympic stars who will be as good as gold at Winter Games
With the Winter Olympics beginning on Friday in PyeongChang, South Korea, here is a quick look at five stars expected to bring home gold for their respective countries in the Games:
Chloe Kim,
Snowboarding, USA
The laid-back Californian would have qualified for the U.S. team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but she was too young. Now 17, Kim is heading to Pyeongchang as the gold-medal favorite in the halfpipe and could become the youngest American ever to medal in snowboarding.
Nathan Chen
Figure Skating, USA
The only undefeated male skater in the world this season, Chen is out to claim gold in his first Olympics. The 18-year-old became the first male figure skater to land five quadruple jumps in a single performance on his way to the first of two consecutive U.S. championships.
Marcel Hirscher
Alpine Skiing, Austria
The slalom master is entering his third Olympics in peak form, as the winner of six straight World Cup titles. Matching Mikaela Shiffrin with 10 victories already on the men’s circuit this season, Hirscher is favored to win gold in each of his three Olympic events.
Choi Min-jeong
Short-track Speedskating, South Korea
The speedskating phenom won her first overall world championship at age 16 by sweeping all of her events. Three years later, the 19-year-old has another championship under her belt and an opportunity to add four gold medals to her collection at home in her first Olympics.
Elana Meyers Taylor
Bobsled, USA
Meyers Taylor moved up a spot on the podium at each Olympics, winning bronze in 2010 and silver in 2014. With new partner Lauren Gibbs, the 33-year-old has found her most success, riding their chemistry to two world championships and a realistic chance at Olympic gold.