Games over
Fireworks explode over the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics on Sunday in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Athletes from 92 nations came together to wrap things up after more than two weeks of competition. Norway and Germany tied for the most gold medals with 14 each. The U.S. finished fourth in both gold medals (nine) and total medals (23), its smallest medal count at a Winter Games since 1998.
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Wind, snow, ice or shine, the Winter Games had its share of golden moments that will forever be etched in Olympic lore.
The American men’s socalled “Miracurl on Ice.” Alina Zagitova. Ester Ledecka. Chloe Kim. The U.S. women’s hockey team.
There were also several not-so-spectacular performances in South Korea — and will be equally as memorable.
Russian doping. Jocelyne Larocque. Shani Davis. The U.S. men’s Alpine team.
Here’s a look at the oohs and ughs of the Pyeongchang Games:
OOHS
U.S. MEN’S CURLING TEAM The squad won the first gold in team history by topping Sweden 10-7, giving the Americans only their second curling medal — with the first coming in a bronze-medal game at the 2006 Turin Games.
ESTER LEDECKA The star from the Czech Republic won a stunning gold in super G in Alpine skiing and then added a snowboarding gold to become the first woman to win gold in two sports during the same Winter Games.
ALINA ZAGITOVA The 15-year-old skater became the first Russian gold medalist of the games, outpointing her friend and training partner, two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva.
CHLOE KIM The 17-yearold from Torrance, Calif., was one of the Olympics’ early darlings by dominating the women’s halfpipe snowboarding final and soaring to a gold medal.
U.S. WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM They snapped a 20-year drought by beating four-time defending champion Canada for the gold. Women’s hockey also benefited in general with a thrilling sixround shootout for gold — the first in the women’s gold-medal game.
UGHS
RUSSIAN DOPING The
International Olympic Committee repeatedly said that Russian athletes had been “rigorously tested,” implying they were unlikely to fail drug tests. But two of the four athletes who tested positive in Pyeongchang were Russian, including curler Alexander Krushelnitsky, who had to return his bronze medal.
U.S. MEN’S ALPINE TEAM Not only didn’t they win a medal, they only had one top-10 finish — Ted Ligety’s fifth in the combined.
NATHAN CHEN The two-time U.S. figure skating champion was among the pre-Olympic favorites, but ruined his chances for making the podium with a dismal short program. He rallied by hitting an unprecedented six quadruple jumps to win the free skate, but wound up fifth overall.
SHANI DAVIS The American speedskater finished seventh in the 1,000 meters and 19th in the 1,500 after declining to attend the opening ceremony after losing a coin toss to decide the U.S. flag bearer in a process he said was handled “dishonorably.”