FITTING FAREWELL
A moving ceremony marks the closing of the Winter Olympic Games as athletes come together in Pyeonghcang in the spirit of unity.
USA TODAY Network reporters spoke to American athletes in a variety of sports about their best memories of these Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and their plans for the future.
Gus Kenworthy
Olympic skier in slopestyle for 2018 who spoke to us through P&G, one of his sponsors. What has this Olympics meant to you?
I think this Olympic experience has been incredible. It’s meant so much to be here, to get to come back to the Olympics for a second time to represent the U.S., and also to represent the LGBT community, because I didn’t get to do that in Sochi, and I was in the closet. So regardless of not getting a medal this time and getting a medal last time, I think I’m leaving here just as proud if not more proud this time around. Best memory? My best memory was meeting Adam (Rippon). Had you guys not met before?
We hadn’t met prior to the Games. ... He’s so funny, so charming, so charismatic. So I’m feeling lucky to have met him and made a life-long friend. Biggest surprise?
I think the biggest surprise was not landing a run in the final. That was something that used to happen to me when I was younger and coming up in the sport, falling and crumbling under pressure. I don’t think I even crumbled under the pressure this time. I think I was in the right headspace for my event but it just didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I didn’t put it down and there’s lots of factors. ... It was hard for me to process because I was definitely not expecting that. What are you most looking forward to next? Taking a nap.
On social media, there have been some negative responses to you, Adam Rippon and Lindsey Vonn for being outspoken on issues. How do you deal with that?
I usually try not to engage because I think in the end it doesn’t really do anything for you. It kind of just brings you down to their level. ... And sometimes I like to clap back, because it’s just kind of fun. But I mostly try to stay above it.
Jamie Anderson, snowboarder
2018 gold medalist in snowboard slopestyle and silver medalist in big air. What has this Olympics meant to you?
It’s freakin’ awesome. ... And watching my boyfriend (Canadian snowboarder Tyler Nicholson) compete this year was so fun and having his support was just next level and I’m so stoked with this turnout. Korea was a great host. Biggest surprise?
I’m so happy, too, about the freakin’ cross country babes last night. Oh my God, that was awesome. I’m eating food at the haven and then next thing you know the last 20 feet I see freakin’ homegirl from Team USA come in for the W and they’re pure emotional. … I wanted to cry with them it was so cool. Snowboarding is so different from a lot of these sports, and when you watch the physical effort that goes into events like cross country you see they really give it their all and it’s just such a beautiful thing. What’s next? Honestly I was just thinking I hate future tripping, so I can’t say yet.
Elana Meyers Taylor
2018 Olympic silver medalist in bobsled who worked with Team Bridgestone on the ground in Korea. What has this Olympics meant to you?
This Olympic has been so crazy, and it’s just been a process of overcoming. For the U.S. bobsled team, it’s been a really difficult year with the loss of Steve Holcomb. And to overcome that and walk away with a medal, it’s been a dream come true. Best memory?
I came in this Olympics; we arrived in a wheelchair. My Achilles, there’s a little tear in it. I wasn’t able to walk in opening ceremony, wasn’t able to see a lot of events. But we did make it out to halfpipe on Valentine’s Day. It was a date with me and Nic (husband Nic Taylor is also a U.S. bobsledder). ... He grew up skateboarding. He was a huge Shaun White fan. Vincent Zhou
Figure skater who finished sixth in his Olympic debut at 17. He worked with Alibaba on the ground as one of his sponsors. What has this Olympics meant to you?
This Olympics has just been the light at the end of the tunnel for me. The 2018 Olympics used to be a faraway dream. I use the analogy of kid walking into toy store and seeing a $500 Lego set. He really wants to get it but can’t because it’s too expensive. There is no way he’s ever going to get there. He starts doing chores, gets his allowance, keeps getting closer and closer to $500 and eventually he gets there. That’s kind of how my experience coming up to Olympics has been. What are you most looking forward
to next?
I have the world championships coming up in three weeks. I’m looking to continue the success I had in Pyeongchang. ... I’m so incredibly excited to start perusing all the infinite options that await. I shouldn’t let my mind get ahead of myself. I need to be focused on my performance.
Aaron Tran
Short-track speedskater who was part of the U.S. relay that finished fifth. He was 12th in the 1,500. What has this Olympics meant to you?
It is a turning point for me as an athlete. A milestone. My life has changed forever in so many ways. It has unified the nation and the world. It also means I am now part of the Olympic family. Biggest surprise?
The most surprising thing is how much I would come to love the pin collecting. It’s been a great way to meet cool athletes and get some exotic and cute looking pieces of metal.
Amanda Pelkey
U.S. women’s hockey forward and 2018 gold medalist. What has this Olympics meant to you?
I think it’s a turning point for a lot of our lives. What we do with this medal and this victory, how we bring it home, it’s going to shape the rest of our life. Biggest surprise?
Being able to get a couple pictures with Shaun White. Opening ceremony, he probably got thousands and thousands of pictures. Madison Chock Ice dancer who finished ninth with partner Evan Bates. Best memory
I would have to say the opening ceremonies. It’s always incredible. And maybe watching Adam (Rippon) skate his free skate because I started to cry while he was skating. It was just beautiful. Biggest surprise? Our performance (falling in the free dance). It happens. It’s a sport. It’s OK.
Kyle Mack
Snowboarder who won silver in big
air. We spoke to him before the big air final. What’s your best memory?
My best memory is one of my best friends (Red Gerard) winning gold in the slopestyle. I’ve grown up with the kid my whole life. Biggest surprise?
I thought the food would be a little better. When I’ve had Korean barbecue, I’ve been blown away. Outside the village has been amazing. But inside the village, at the coastal, they have McDonald’s. We don’t up in the mountains. It’s been kind of a bummer.
Nick Goepper
2018 silver medalist in slopestyle skiing. He spoke to us at P&G’s Family House. Best memory?
During the events, the press conferences, TV shows and getting the medals, just kind of seeing the Goeppers tucked away in a little corner of the crowd engulfed in cheers and shouting. I think that’s pretty sweet. Biggest surprise?
The biggest surprise has been how long the dryers take at the laundry in the athlete village. I don’t know what it is about American dryers versus Korean dryers. My dryer at home, it gets my clothes fired up and done in 25 minutes. I literally had to leave my clothes in the dryer all afternoon. It takes like three hours.
Nathan Chen
Bronze medalist in team figure skating who worked with Team Bridgestone on the ground in Korea. He was fifth in the individual men’s competition. What has this Games meant to you?
It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, especially coming in and having such a rough skate. But it totally opened my eyes to the rest of the Games. It was really, really cool to just be here, see all the athletes, the unity of the athletes. We’ve all put the work in, we all trained so hard for this moment. And some had success, some didn’t, but it’s cool to see that everyone is still enjoying themselves.
Contributing: Laken Litman, Jeff Metcalfe, Paul Myerberg, Alex Ptachick, Joe Rexrode, Martin Rogers, Roxanna Scott, Jeff Seidel, Dan Wolken