U.S. on track for fewest medals in 20 years
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — It’s the halfway point in these Winter Games and time to look at how the United States is doing. And the optics are not good. Based on expected results, the U.S. should finish with between 19 and 23 total medals, its lowest total in 20 years.
It’s probably not a breakdown in how the different governing bodies care and train their athletes but more a case of some of the athletes just not living up to expectations.
The Alpine skiing team has been disappointing with, through yesterday, no men’s medals. And Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn both failed to medal in disciplines you thought they should. Skater Nathan Chen’s disastrous short program compromised a medal for him despite a great long program. Lindsey Jacobellis, the best known women’s snowboarder, failed to hit the podium and gain some redemption.
So, with a week to go, how will the United States add to its nine medals it had headed into this morning?
• Alpine: Could pick up two medals with Vonn in the downhill and Shiffrin in the combined. (2)
• Bobsled: The women are likely to pick up a medal with Elana Meyers Taylor but Jamie Greubel Poser could sneak in. (1)
• Figure skating: Alex and Maia Shibutani will very likely win a medal in ice dance, but that’s it. (1)
• Freestyle skiing: The men’s halfpipe is likely to get at least two medals between David Wise, Torin Yater-Wallace and Alex Ferreira. Maybe sweep the podium, but that’s being greedy. Gus Kenworthy could hit in the slopestyle and Brita Sigourney or Maddie Bowman could medal in the women’s halfpipe. These are sports where things can easily go wrong . . . or right. (4)
• Hockey: The U.S. women likely lose the gold to Canada. Can’t imagine them not medaling. Not so good an outlook for the men. (1)
• Snowboard: Look for Chris Corning on the men’s side and Jamie Anderson on the women’s side to hit in the Big Air competition. Should do nothing in parallel giant slalom. (2)
• Speedskating: Joey Mantia will possibly medal in the men’s mass start, which would be the only U.S. medal in this sport. (1)
• Wild cards: Someone unexpected could medal and someone expected to medal won’t. It all evens out.
• Blanked sports the rest of the way: Biathlon, crosscountry skiing, curling, Nordic combined, skeleton, short-track speedskating.
That gets 21 medals, give or take a few.
So, how would that shape up against the Americans’ take in the most recent Winter Games? Like this: 2014: Sochi (28); 2010: Vancouver (37); 2006: Turin (26); 2002: Salt Lake City (34); 1998: Nagano (13).