There were some projections that had the U.S. finishing in the 30s (although, I must say I came pretty close with my 25, and I nailed the 39 for Norway). They obviously didn't come anywhere close to that number. To be fair, there were a lot of fourth- and fifth-place finishes, so there easily could've been a few more. But the fact remains that despite having the largest team (by any country) in Winter Olympic history, the United States took home its fewest medals since 1998.
Here's the concerning part, though. Nearly half of those came in either snowboarding or freestyle skiing, events that have been added in bulk to the Winter Games lately and have done a pretty good job of inflating the American medal total. If you take out those two sports, the totals drop to 12 medals overall (one fewer than Nagano) and just four gold (Mikaela Shiffrin, cross country, curling and women's hockey).
Meanwhile, the U.S. won a grand total of three medals in alpine skiing, all courtesy of Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn. The men were shut out. Speed skating? One medal. A bronze. The first by U.S. women since 2002 (more on that in a second). Even in figure skating, the one winter sport America is perhaps best known for, the American medal count was two bronzes, one of which came in the team event.
So, while the United States might be snagging medals left and right in the X Games events, the traditional Winter Olympic sports are getting left behind. And that's why a reassessment might be necessary.
Leading into the Vancouver Games, Canada started an "Own the Podium" campagin. The Canadians had an incredible showing at their home Games, and it's continued at the last two Winter Games. Great Britain did something similar prior to the London Games. And they're still reaping the benefits six years later.
Both of those nations wanted to have a good showing at home, but they also wanted to use their home Games as a springboard to long-term Olympic success. All of the facilities built for the Olympics became high-performance training centers for the national teams, which has been a huge boon to both the Canadian and British Olympic teams.
I bring this up because the Salt Lake City Games were supposed to have the same effect on the U.S. Winter Olympic team. Part of Salt Lake's Olympic legacy is the world-class facilities. Salt Lake City has one of two bobsled tracks and one of the few speed skating ovals in the U.S. (That was the most hilarious part of NBC's "Do you want to get started in Nordic combined?" ads, since, you know, there's a ski jump around every corner.) This means American winter athletes don't need to go somewhere in Europe to train. And, by extension, make the United States competitive in the Winter Olympics across the board.
It's been 16 years since Salt Lake City, which means we're onto a new generation of winter athletes. The athletes who competed in the Salt Lake City Games are long since retired (for the most part) and have been replaced by those who watched them on TV. And have had the benefit of training at those facilities throughout their entire careers as elite athletes.
Why then, did it take 16 years for the U.S. to win an Olympic medal in women's speed skating? Why then, were the only two alpine skiers you've ever heard of the only ones who brought medals home from PyeongChang? (And there are ski resorts all over the U.S.) Same thing with figure skating. There are rinks everywhere, yet the U.S. hasn't won an Olympic singles medal since Evan Lysacek's gold in 2010.
Yes, there have consistently been bobsled and luge medals since the Salt Lake Olympic track opened, and the U.S. has won Olympic medals in Nordic combined and, now, cross country at recent Games. But that doesn't change the fact that the American Winter Olympic medal tally has really become dependent on two sports--snowboarding and freestyle skiing.
Is it working? For now. But other nations are eventually going to start winning medals in those sports, too. And what will happen when they do? We'll go back to seeing American medal totals in the teens (which I'm sure NBC would love). That is, unless the USOC commits to developing the entire winter sports program. Not just snowboarding and freestyle skiing.
Then maybe the American dominance of the Summer Gmaes will carryover to the winter. Or at least put the U.S. in the conversation with Norway, Germany and Canada. Because there's no reason why it shouldn't.
So, while the United States might be snagging medals left and right in the X Games events, the traditional Winter Olympic sports are getting left behind. And that's why a reassessment might be necessary.
Leading into the Vancouver Games, Canada started an "Own the Podium" campagin. The Canadians had an incredible showing at their home Games, and it's continued at the last two Winter Games. Great Britain did something similar prior to the London Games. And they're still reaping the benefits six years later.
Both of those nations wanted to have a good showing at home, but they also wanted to use their home Games as a springboard to long-term Olympic success. All of the facilities built for the Olympics became high-performance training centers for the national teams, which has been a huge boon to both the Canadian and British Olympic teams.
I bring this up because the Salt Lake City Games were supposed to have the same effect on the U.S. Winter Olympic team. Part of Salt Lake's Olympic legacy is the world-class facilities. Salt Lake City has one of two bobsled tracks and one of the few speed skating ovals in the U.S. (That was the most hilarious part of NBC's "Do you want to get started in Nordic combined?" ads, since, you know, there's a ski jump around every corner.) This means American winter athletes don't need to go somewhere in Europe to train. And, by extension, make the United States competitive in the Winter Olympics across the board.
It's been 16 years since Salt Lake City, which means we're onto a new generation of winter athletes. The athletes who competed in the Salt Lake City Games are long since retired (for the most part) and have been replaced by those who watched them on TV. And have had the benefit of training at those facilities throughout their entire careers as elite athletes.
Why then, did it take 16 years for the U.S. to win an Olympic medal in women's speed skating? Why then, were the only two alpine skiers you've ever heard of the only ones who brought medals home from PyeongChang? (And there are ski resorts all over the U.S.) Same thing with figure skating. There are rinks everywhere, yet the U.S. hasn't won an Olympic singles medal since Evan Lysacek's gold in 2010.
Yes, there have consistently been bobsled and luge medals since the Salt Lake Olympic track opened, and the U.S. has won Olympic medals in Nordic combined and, now, cross country at recent Games. But that doesn't change the fact that the American Winter Olympic medal tally has really become dependent on two sports--snowboarding and freestyle skiing.
Is it working? For now. But other nations are eventually going to start winning medals in those sports, too. And what will happen when they do? We'll go back to seeing American medal totals in the teens (which I'm sure NBC would love). That is, unless the USOC commits to developing the entire winter sports program. Not just snowboarding and freestyle skiing.
Then maybe the American dominance of the Summer Gmaes will carryover to the winter. Or at least put the U.S. in the conversation with Norway, Germany and Canada. Because there's no reason why it shouldn't.
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