Go team go! Team USA has a long history of winning at the Winter Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Games are no different.
The athletes donning stars and stripes ended the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics with 23 total medals, including nine gold. The country’s strong showing put Team USA in the No. 4 spot overall for the most medals at the games.
With seven wins in the snowboarding events — four golds, two silver and one bronze — the U.S. athletes had a lot of hype around them coming into the 2022 competition.
All four of the snowboarding gold medalists — Shaun White, Chloe Kim, Red Gerard and Jamie Anderson — made their way back to the slopes of the China-based Games in February and fans took notice.
“To be going at my fifth time here is pretty spectacular,” White, 35, told the Today show hosts after the February 4 opening ceremonies. “It’s tough to say goodbye. I’ve had an amazing run. I’m so thankful for everything I’ve achieved and I’m ready to pass the torch to the next generation.”
The snowboarding legend couldn’t wait to hit the slopes in his final Winter Games, saying, “I’m so thankful to be here, feeling healthy. Body’s feeling great. I’m ready to put on a performance.”
Figure skater Nathan Chen was also prized to take home the gold in men’s singles during his second Olympic appearance after landing just off the podium at the 2018 Games.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be able to win a national title, to win a world title, to win an Olympic title,” Chen, 22, said in January 2021 via USA Today. “Easier said than done. I thought that I had a chance in 2018 and that didn’t happen and I’m able to live with that.”
The Yale University student revealed he would “love to be able to win the next Olympics,” but wasn’t putting too much pressure on taking home a medal.
“If that doesn’t happen, it’s not like my legacy or who I am is ultimately diminished. I’m still happy with everything that I’ve done,” he added. “I’m proud of everything that I’ve already accomplished in skating.”
Scroll down to see whether White, Chen or their many Team USA teammates took home a medal at the Beijing Olympics: