ATHLETES TO WATCH
1. Max Parrot (CAN):
One of the bigger innovators when it comes to tricks in big air, Parrot won a silver in slopestyle earlier in the Games. Parrot’s main competition will come from teammate Mark McMorris, who won bronze in slopestyle and is coming off a first place at the World Cup in Beijing.
2. Red Gerard (USA):
The winner of the first U.S. medal of these Games, Gerard has had a whirlwind tour the last week. He went back to the U.S. for promotional events and flew back to Korea a couple of days ago. After securing that first medal, don’t discount Gerard’s desire to extend his moment of fame.
3. Ester Ledecka (CZE):
The best story of these Games so far after her surprise gold medal in super-G, Ledecka goes for her second medal in her best event. She is the reigning world champi- on in snowboard parallel giant slalom and has finished first in points the last three years. Another gold medal would make her the breakout star of Pyeongchang.
4 . U.S. men’s curling (USA):
While most of us were asleep Wednesday night, the U.S. men pulled off one of the biggest upsets in curling history by knocking off the favored Canadian team. John Shuster’s team has secured the best finish ever for a U.S. team and will go for gold against Sweden on Friday night.
5. Kevin Kuske (GER):
The German is looking to make bobsled history by winning his fifth gold medal as the four-man bobsled competition gets underway Friday night. Kuske has two golds each in the four and two-man bobsled but hasn’t medaled since a gold in Vancouver eight years ago.