Fansided

Winter Olympics: 5 American athletes to watch in Pyeongchang

By Amy Kaplan

PARK CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 25: Skeleton racer John Daly poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on September 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARK CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 25: Skeleton racer John Daly poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on September 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Meet five American superstars poised to grace the 2018 Winter Olympic podium this month.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea begin on Feb. 8, but with 15 sports and over 100 events, it’s impossible to know who to watch and when. So we’ve made it easy for you with five top picks for medals this year.

Nathan Chen, Figure Skating

Chen was the first American man in eight years to win the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, which is the last big competition before the Olympics. He’s a huge favorite to take the gold medal in South Korea.

Figure skating schedule: Men’s figure skating begins on Feb. 16 and medals are awarded on Feb. 17.

John Daly, Skeleton

Before Daly was killing it on the slopes, he was racing BMX bikes in the dirt, because this man is fearless. Though this will be his third Olympic showing, he has yet to medal. Perhaps the third time will be a charm for Daly.

Skeleton schedule: The Skeleton race occurs the 12-17 with medals being awarded on Feb.16 and 17.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – SEPTEMBER 30: Maame Biney of United States reacts during the ladies 500m quarterfinals heat two during the Audi ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating at Bok Hall on September 30, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Christof Koepsel – ISU/ISU via Getty Images)
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – SEPTEMBER 30: Maame Biney of United States reacts during the ladies 500m quarterfinals heat two during the Audi ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating at Bok Hall on September 30, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Christof Koepsel – ISU/ISU via Getty Images) /

Maame Biney, Short Track Speedskating

Biney, who was born in Ghana and later moved to the United States will be the first African- American to be included on an American Olympic speedskating team. She is a heavy favorite to take home a medal in Pyeongchang, South Korea. And she’s only 18 years old.

Short track speedskating schedule: Short track speedskating runs every day from Feb. 10-25 and medals will be awarded daily. Biney races the 500 m, with qualifiers on Feb. 10 and finals on Feb. 13.

Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled

Meyers Taylor already has a medal from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but she’s hoping to improve that silver medal with a gold this year in South Korea. She was the first American woman to ever win a bobsled world championship in 2015 and that alone makes her someone to keep an eye on.

Bobsled schedule: Bobsled races begin on Feb. 15 and run until the closing ceremony. Medals will be awarded on Feb. 19, 21 and 25. 

Everyone, Women’s Ice Hockey

This year’s Winter Olympics is looking to be an exciting one for Team USA’s women’s ice hockey team as they gear up to face longtime rival, Team Canada. All eyes will be on the women as the multiple athletes from the men’s team were barred from entering the Olympics by the National Hockey League.

Next: The greatest Olympic athlete from every U.S. state

The ladies took silver in Sochi after a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in 2014 and are looking to avenge that loss this year.

Ice hockey schedule: Ice hockey begins Saturday, Feb. 10 and will run every day until the closing ceremony. 

Home/Winter Olympics