Team USA has never medaled in the Biathlon at the Olympics. That drought might finally be over in Sochi in 2014 when Tim Burke takes a shot at it. He won silver in the men’s 20 kilometer individual race at the 2013 IBU World Championships. That was the first USA medal in the World Championships in 26 years. Can Burke finally get the illusive Biathlon medal for the Americans?
Emily Cook is one of the best Aerials skiers in the world having not only captured 4 national championships but also 9 World Cup Medals. She has yet to capture a podium spot in the Olympics however. Will Sochi be her final chance?
In Vancouver in 2010 Pikus-Pace had a great run in the Skeleton event. Unfortunately she heart-breakingly missed the podium by 0.10 seconds. Afterwards she retired from the sport. Recently however she decided to come out of retirement and give it one more try. It isn’t exactly a long shot at this point after she won silver at last year’s Worlds and Gold at the Sochi test events. She could be in line for a redemptive bit of revenge in Sochi.
There are many events Team USA excels or at least competes in regularly for a medal. Cross-country skiing is not one of them. As a matter of fact they haven’t medaled in the event since 1976. Randall could be the one that changes that. She dominated the 2012-2013 circuit standings. She finished first in the final sprint standings and third overall. Her chances are very good to compete for a podium finish in Sochi.
For years and years the USA Speed Skating team has been led by Apolo Ohno. With Ohno now retired from Olympic competition all eyes will look towards J.R. Celski to see if he can take the helm of the team. He already has a couple of medals to his credit but quite a long ways to go to catch Ohno.
In 2010 Richardson was fairly new, very new actually at long-track speed skating and the results were indicative of the fact. Now just four years later she has a world win to her name and a world record fell to her in the process. It looks like she could go from new in Vancouver to dominant in 2014.
In 2010 the USA women went without a podium finish and Gracie Gold is one of the front-runners to get revenge for that shutout in 2014. She might have a shot at a gold but for sure Gold could push hard for a medal this February.
Simply put, it has been forever since Team USA saw a couple win a figure skating Pairs medal. It hasn’t happened since 1988. This could be the year that finally changes in Sochi if all goes perfectly well but it will not be easy.
Team USA won the 2013 World Team Trophy and that could be a very good sign. Could Sochi be the place where Team USA finally takes that next step and nabs a team gold?
USA Snowboarder Hannah Teter usually finds her name listed among the other “hot” Olympians each time they roll around. She is way more than just a pretty face though. She won Gold in 2006, Bronze in 2010 and has yet to slow down. Will she further show her prowess in the sport by winning her third medal and second gold?
Louie Vito is a successful snowboarder but he is more than that. In addition to winning gold at the 2013 X-Games he also competed in season 9 of Dancing With the Stars. Considering his recent X-Gold he has a good chance to hot step right up to the top of the podium. That should be even more entertaining than competing in DWTS.
It wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise if the Olympic gold medal game in hockey came down to USA and Canada. The question is what USA will be able to do this year on the Men’s side of the coin. Will they be able to hold off Canada and others for Gold?
Scoff all you want about Lolo Jones being on the USA Bobsled team but it is far from a joke. She has reportedly been eating as many as 9000 calories a day from time to time trying to gain muscle for Sochi. She has been part of a good push team so far and could push them to Gold.
Mancuso is the most decorated Olympic USA Women’s Skiier. Can she make her fourth consecutive games and medal for the third consecutive time in Sochi? If so she would need to start seeing her name up there with the greats of the sport for Team USA.
Some of the competitors on this list have great streaks going but Holland isn’t really one of them. He has made the Olympics two straight times leading into Sochi and that certainly speaks for itself. Results however have been 14th in 2006 and 4th in 2010. Can he leap over the top Snowboard Cross competitors to capture a podium finish in Sochi?
The USA Bobsled team surely has its struggles but Fenlator likely sees the word struggle in a much different light than many TEAM USA athletes. Hurricane Irene destroyed her family’s home in 2011. How amazing would it be to see the family’s journey come to a dramatic climax with a gold in Sochi?
This could be a very fun story to watch. Dan Bylsma is the coach of the Pittsburgh Penquins and Team USA Men’s Hockey. The captain of his NHL team is Sidney Crosby, the extremely talented Team Canada player during the Olympics. How great would it be to see them having to face each other for a gold medal?
Marco Sullivan has competed for Team USA in three straight Olympics leading up to Sochi. However injuries have made a fourth straight time a chore. Can Sullivan make the team in spite of the struggles and injuries he has had?
Julie Chu has competed for Team USA many times before in Women’s Hockey. She already has 2 silver medals and one bronze to her name. The Sochi 2014 games could be her chance to finally lead the women’s hockey to a gold medal.
Many USA women’s figure skaters have shined in Olympic events in the past but they need a new “it” girl. Sochi could very well be the coming out party for Ashley Wagner on a world stage. She has momentum heading into the games and looks to be one of the medal favorites.
Kate Hanson is trying to make Team USA and compete for Gold in Luge in Sochi 2014. The only problem for her in that is the fact that she has been doing so with a broken bone in her foot. I don’t imagine that stops an athlete as competitive as she is though.
The face of women’s USA skiing has without a doubt been Lindsey Vonn over the last several years. She suffered a severely broken leg early in 2013 however with a torn MCL and ACL along with a broken tibia. Can she make an improbable comeback and fight for a medal with Team USA?
Davis and White won a bronze in Vancouver and followed that with dominance. They won World in 2011 and Skate America in 2013. They also won 13 grand prix events. They give Team USA a very strong chance for a high podium in Ice Dancing which is refreshing.
Shani Davis, a Team USA speed skater, could add his name deeper into the history books. If he has a dominant 2014 in Sochi he could become one of the most decorated Winter Games athletes the USA has ever had.
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