ATHLETES TO WATCH

SHAUN WHITE Age: 31

Hometown: Carlsbad, California Sport: Snowboarding

Best shot at gold: He’s the biggest name in the sport and is seeking his third gold on the halfpipe. It’s no guarantee, though, not with Japan’s high-flying Ayumu Hirano and the defending champion, Iouri Podladtchikov (the iPod), in the mix.

LINDSEY VONN Age: 33

Hometown: Vail, Colorado Sport: Alpine Skiing Best shot at gold: Eight of her World

Cup titles have come in the downhill, the longest of the individual events, and five have come in the super-G, so if she’s healthy, it’s a coin flip. She could win both.

NATHAN CHEN Age: 18

Hometown: Salt Lake City Sport: Figure Skating Best shot at gold: He’s America’s best hope for a gold medal in this sport. The master of the quad, he includes five of those jumps in his free skate. Some skaters don’t try any.

BECCA AND MATT HAMILTON Ages: 27 and 28

Hometown: McFarland, Wisconsin Sport: Curling Best shot at

gold: If you’re one of those who can’t seem to look away from curling, then keep an eye on this brother-sister team. They qualified for the men’s and women’s squads, and also as a two-person, mixed-doubles team for that format’s Olympic debut.

MAAME BINEY Age: 17

Hometown: Reston, Virginia Sport: Short Track Speedskating Best shot at gold: The Ghana native with the mile-wide smile is the first black woman to qualify for a U.S. speedskating team. She should contend at 500 meters where she has had success at junior and senior levels on the road to Korea.

ASHLEY CALDWELL Age: 24

Hometown: Park City, Utah Sport: Freestyle Skiing Best shot at

gold: Caldwell is one of the few female aerials skiers who will try a triple flip. It’s high-risk, highreward, and if she lands it, the degree of difficulty will put her on the podium.