By Brian Klose
Staff Writer
With the Winter Olympics nearly underway this week, the U.S. Olympic Team is looking to make another impressive run in Sochi. The U.S. ensemble is coming off a 2010 Vancouver performance that resulted in the third most medals with 37, nine of which were gold. Now, returning stars are hungry for gold beginning on Feb. 7, but not without some old favorites and proven gold medal winners.
One key member of the U.S. Men’s hockey team is returning after his 2010 success. Goaltender Ryan Miller competed to carry the U.S. Men to a gold-medal round in Vancouver, only to fall short to Team Canada. The 33-year-old Michigan native will be the starting goalie for his second straight Olympic games, and he’s ready to give another dominating performance.
Miller holds multiple records with his NHL team, the Buffalo Sabres, including franchise leader in career wins and most wins in a single season, so his .946 save percentage was a surprise to very few. However, the gold medal game loss to host nation Canada left Miller and the rest of the U.S. squad hungry for more. Miller has always been considered an underdog (even with his illustrious college career at Michigan State), but it makes him all the more competitive in high stress situations.
Also returning to the Olympics, snowboarder Shaun White prepares to reinvent himself yet again. White is arguably one of the greatest of all time in his sport. In fact, White chose not to participate in January’s X-Games in order to better prepare for Sochi. The 27-year-old California resident holds the Olympic record for the highest overall score in the men’s halfpipe event with 48.4, breaking the record in 2006 and improving it in 2010. This time around, White is aiming towards his third straight gold medal in the halfpipe event in his third Olympic Games.
Two notable athletes missing from the U.S. Team are star speed skater Apollo Ohno and Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn. Team USA will surely miss the likes of these athletes, because both are gold medalists.
Ohno, after winning three medals in Vancouver, decided to retire from competition, finding his place in sports commentating for this year’s Winter Olympics. Ohno won a gold medal in his two previous Olympics in Salt Lake City and Turin.
Vonn announced her removal from the games after a knee injury sustained in late December in France. Vonn, the downhill gold medal winner in 2010, has had an unfortunate history of poorly timed injuries either before or during the Winter Olympics. Vancouver began with a bruised shin from training, making her lean towards dropping out of certain events. Warm weather, however, caused the events to be pushed back and gave her additional time to heal. Later, in her fourth event, Vonn crashed and broke a finger, resulting in her disqualification from the event.
With plenty of storylines surrounding the team, the U.S. is primed for another run of success. Seasoned veterans and hopeful newcomers make this years Olympic squad more ready than ever, ready to take over Sochi and bring home gold.