12 Inspiring Olympic Stories From 2018
Start writing a post
Sports

12 Inspiring Olympic Stories From 2018

12 Amazing Stories From the PyeongChang Olympics

1645
12 Inspiring Olympic Stories From 2018
https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2018/02/28/636554386080853767-947071827_green%20show%20olympics.jpg

So the Olympic has just ended and we've witnessed 102 events. There were upsets, there were disappointments, and there were some amazing achievements. Anyone who goes to the Olympics has an inspiring story, they've all worked hard and sacrificed so much to get to that level of competition. Here are some of those stories that stuck out to me.

U.S. Men's Curling Team

There was a time when the US Curling team was known as "Team Reject." But this Olympics changed all that when they won gold over Sweden.


Mirai Nagasu- United States- Figure Skating

Mirai Bagasu became the first U.S. woman to land a triple axel in Olympic competition and helped Team USA win bronze in the team skate.


Marit Bjoergen- Norway- Skiing

A successful skier from Norway? That's not that surprising I know but this skier from Norway won her 14th medal at the 2018 games and is now the most decorated athlete in Winter Olympic history.



Pita Taufatofua- Tonga- Cross-Country Skiing

Pita had seen snow for the first time a year ago. He took up cross-country skiing a year ago and he qualified to compete in the Pyeongchang Olympics. Honestly, that's already incredibly impressive. But you might recognize Pita from the 2016 Rio games opening ceremony. He entered the PyongChang opening ceremony the same, shirtless, oiled, and all. He finished 114 out of 116 in his nearly 10-mile event he said he would "rather finish toward the end of the pack with all of my friends than somewhere in the middle by myself. We fought together, we finish together.” But don't say goodbye to him too soon. He plans on making an appearance in the 2020 Tokyo games; "Three Olympics, three different sports let's see if it can be done." I don't know about you, but I can't wait.


German Madrazo- Mexico- Cross-Country Skying

This is Madrazo's first ever Olympics. He finished dead last after the 15km race, but he didn't care. He grabbed a Mexican flag and crossed the finish line as he was cheered on by other skiers who had already finished. One of those skiers was Pita Taufatofua. They're besties and I love it.


U.S. Women's Hockey Team

The U.S. and Canadian's hockey teams have had a rivalry for quite a while and the US won in an overtime shootout. Team U.S. won gold and ended a 20-year drought.


Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian and Carrie Russell-Jamaican- Bobsled

The Jamaican bobsled team is a staple of the winter Olympics and really captures the true spirit of the Olympics. This year they sent a two-person bobsled to compete in the women's competition. Thier coach quite, taking the bobsled, and Red Stripe swooped in just in time and offered to buy the Jamaican team a new one. They did not get far into the competition, but they managed to compete at the highest level at the Olympic games and that alone is a huge accomplishment for anyone.


Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwemerem, and Akuoma Omeogo- Nigeria- Bobsled

This is the first ever team from any Africa nation to compete in a bobsled in Olympic history. They came to the Olympic games with the intention of representing Africa and showing that anybody can do anything from any climate or continent. They finished 20th out of 20 with a time of 52.21 seconds a personal best.


Simidele Adeagbo- Nigeria- Skeleton

The Nigerian bobsled team wasn't the only athletes from Nigeria competing in these games. In fact, that bobsled team actually inspired Adeagbo to find the sport of skeleton and compete in these Olympics. Adeagbo was the technically the first winter Olympics competitor from Nigeria in history because her event was scheduled before the bobsled event. Adeagbo was the first African woman to compete in Skeleton.


Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot- Germany- Pairs Skating

This figure skating pair earned a 159.31, the highest score for pairs skating ever awarded in Olympic history. Seeing Sacvhenko at these winter games was a surprise because she wasn't expected to compete as it was her fifth Olympic games. But fifth times a charm and she won gold.


Ester Ledecka- Czech Republic - Super G Skiiing

Ledecka is a world champion snowboarder and won gold in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding. That wasn't the surprise. The surprise was when she beat the favorite for the women's Super G by 0.01 seconds. She stood there in shock staring at the giant timer along with the rest of us.


Jessie Diggins- United States- Cross Country Skying

Diggins, along with her teammate Kikkan Randall, won gold in women's cross-country skiing, the first ever for America. It was particularly inspiring watching her last 100m dash to the finish line. Diggins was also the flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremonies.




Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70814
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132425
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments