Way to represent! Four Colorado Olympians have medaled at the Winter Olympics, and we're sure there are plenty more to come!
These athletes are making us Coloradans proud. Four Colorado Olympians have made it to the medal podium in the Winter Olympics so far, with hopefully more on the way. And with 31 of Team USA's 244 athletes hailing from our great state, that should be an easy task to accomplish.
Red Gerard
Courtesy of USAToday Sports
Age: 17
Hometown: Silverthorne
Red Gerard has catapulted into stardom practically overnight. On the day of his run, the 17-year-old promptly slept in, forgot his jacket, swore on television, and even after all of that, he brought home the first gold medal for Team USA in the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle event.
This run was golden! 17-year-old Red Gerard gave Team USA its first gold medal of 2018. #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS https://t.co/a8E2Sv9O2T pic.twitter.com/XZZk0PCVqm
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) February 11, 2018
Arielle Gold
Courtesy of Mile High Sports
Age: 21
Hometown: Steamboat Springs
Arielle Gold finished with a bronze medal in the Women's Halfpipe event, coming in right behind teammate Chloe Kim. She performed a 1080 spin, which requires three rotations; many of her competitors attempted the move, but were unsuccessful. The 21-year-old is a former World Champion in the halfpipe event and currently attends CU in Boulder.
Arielle Gold put herself in position to be on the podium for Team USA. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/D65Nuoyydu pic.twitter.com/g3VZJVFqRB
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2018
Mikaela Shiffrin
Courtesy of NY Times | Doug Mills
Age: 22
Hometown: Vail
After waiting three days for the strong winds to calm down, Mikaela Shiffrin finally had her shot in the giant slalom. The 22-year-old was focused and one of the most aggressive skiers in the event, having a two-run time of two minutes and 20.02 seconds. And Shiffrin's quest for the gold isn't over yet—she could get at least three more medals, which would make her the only Alpine skier to do so.
If you went to bed early, you missed @MikaelaShiffrin take her first #gold medal in giant slalom! Relive her rise from 5th place in Sochi to the top of the podium in PyeongChang. pic.twitter.com/w5YQhsnbXh
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
Lindsey Vonn
Courtesy of Alessandro Trovati | AP Photo
Age: 33
Hometown: Vail
In her final alpine event, Lindsey Vonn ended up taking home the bronze medal. She finished a mere 0.47 seconds behind first-place winner Sofia Goggia (1 minute, 39.22 seconds). The 33-year-old is the oldest female medalist in alpine skiing at the Games -- was held by Austria's Michael Dorfmeister.
In an emotional post-race interview, @lindseyvonn says that this was her last Olympic downhill and she hopes she made her late grandfather proud. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/YtEpNzDMDu pic.twitter.com/vWhKp5NSGA
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) February 21, 2018
Team USA currently [updated Feb. 21] has 16 medals—6 Gold, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze.
What do you think? Will more Colorado Olympians be bringing home the gold? Which events have you been watching? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and let's get the conversation started.
