Shaun White Wins Gold Medal in Halfpipe in 2018 Winter Olympics
Feb 13, 2018
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 14: Shaun White of the United States reacts after his second run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on February 14, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Four years ago, Shaun White did not make the podium in Sochi, Russia.
On Tuesday (Wednesday in Pyeongchang, South Korea), the 31-year-old redeemed himself with a gold-medal performance in the men's halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Thanks to his triumphant run, White is now the first snowboarder in Olympic history with three gold medals.
White earned a 97.75 in his third run, which was the final run of the competition, to finish 2.50 points ahead of Japan's Ayumu Hirano. NBC Olympics shared a replay of White's gold-clinching run:
White began his Olympic journey at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy, where he was thrust into the spotlight at 19 years old following a sensational gold-medal performance. That ascent continued in 2010, when White successfully won gold in Vancouver, Canada.
However, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi represented a different story.
Although White was the odds-on favorite to snag gold in Russia, he finished fourth and failed to medal in the men's halfpipe. He also withdrew from the men's slopestyle competition just two days before the opening ceremony.
Reflecting back on his slip-up, White said the idea of trying to compete in multiple events was a steep proposition.
"I was learning the tricks in the halfpipe and rushing over to slopestyle, and by the time I got back to halfpipe, the little nuances of those tricks I was learning just went out the window and I had to relearn them," he told NBC Sports' Julia Grassie. "It was time-consuming, it was tough."
As it turns out, that experience left a lasting mark and served as motivation for a comeback.
"People ask me when I got over Sochi," White told B/R Mag's Brandon Sneed. "I'm like, 'F--king got over Sochi?'I never got over Sochi. I'll never get over Sochi. It's part of me now."
Now that he has a third Olympic medal around his neck, White's journey has officially come full circle following a turbulent four years filled with ups, downs and second-guessing regarding his ability to return to the sport's summit.
Medal Count 2018 Olympics: Updated Tally, Predicting Winners for Tuesday Night
Feb 13, 2018
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Shaun White of the United States looks on following his first run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Snowboarder Chloe Kim stole the show on Monday night when she took home gold for the United States in the women's halfpipe competition.
Now it's Shaun White's turn to take on the field in the men's halfpipe.
Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Pyeongchang, South Korea) will also feature some preliminary men's curling, women's ice hockey and the pairs' figure skating short program.
On top of that, medals will also be handed out in alpine skiing for the women's slalom.
Before we dive into the full schedule and our nightly predictions, let's take a look at the updated medal tally heading into the night's action:
Scotty James of Australia might be the biggest threat to gold for U.S. star Shaun White.
Does Shaun White still think about missing the podium at the 2014 Olympics?
"People ask, 'When are you going to get over [that loss]?'" White told Shawn Smith of NBC Sports. "You don't, you don't really ever get over it. It's kind of like you have a scar from falling off a bike, it's just with you forever."
He'll have a chance for some redemption on Tuesday night.
Standing in the way of his pursuit of a third gold medal are Scotty James of Australia and Ayumu Hirano of Japan.
Those three all finished with huge scores in the qualifying round: White (98.50), James (96.75), Hirano (95.25).
Prediction: 1. Shaun White (United States), 2. Scotty James (Australia), 3. Ayumu Hirano (Japan)
Alpine Skiing: Women's Slalom
Mikaela Shiffrin is a heavy favorite for gold for the U.S. in women's slalom.
While the men's halfpipe figures to be close, it would be a major upset if the U.S. doesn't take home gold in the women's slalom.
Mikaela Shiffrin is the overwhelming favorite to win the event.
The 2014 gold medal winner currently sits atop the World Cup rankings by a sizeable margin:
Mikaela Shiffrin (780 points)
Petra Vlhova (605 points)
Frida Hansdotter (561 points)
Wendy Holdener (545 points)
There's a dropoff of nearly 200 points from Holdener to the rest of the field, so those four have to be considered the heavy favorites to be standing on the podium.
NBC Olympics Schedule 2018: Event Guide, Live-Stream Info and Tuesday Picks
Feb 13, 2018
Shaun White, of the United States, jumps during the men's halfpipe qualifying at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Two of the United States' top Olympians are expected to win gold on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Pyeongchang, South Korea).
Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin will take the American audience by storm with their performances in the men's halfpipe and women's slalom, respectively.
White is looking to extend his dominance in the halfpipe, an event he's won twice before at the Olympics, and enters as the top qualifier.
Shiffrin broke on to the stage in 2014 with a victory in the slalom, and she's hoping a repeat of her gold from Sochi is the start of one of the most historic medal hauls in Winter Olympics history.
In addition to White and Shiffrin's showcase events, figure skating returns to primetime with the start of the pairs competition, while curling and women's ice hockey also take place on Tuesday night.
Women's Group B: Sweden vs. Switzerland (10:10 p.m. ET)
All events can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.
Medal Predictions
Men's Snowboarding Halfpipe
The men's halfpipe is lining up to be one of the best competitions in Pyeongchang.
White, Scotty James of Australia and Japan's Ayumu Hirano put on a show in the two qualifying runs on Monday, with each member of the trio one-upping each other.
James appeared to have the top mark after a monstrous second run that garnered a score of 96.75, but White immediately responded with a mark of 98.50 to top the standings heading into the final.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his second run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 13, 2
Hirano's performance was a bit overshadowed by those of White and James, but he's right up there in the standings as well after a second-run score of 95.25.
To have three riders over 95 in qualifying, and a fourth over 90 in American Ben Ferguson, is absurd, and it sets up for a showdown of epic proportions involving tricks that haven't been tried in Olympic competition.
Given how the qualifying round went, it wouldn't come as a shock if one of the three riders throws down a perfect score, with White being the most likely to do so since he drops into the halfpipe last.
Prediction: 1. Shaun White (United States), 2. Scotty James (Australia), 3. Ayumu Hirano (Japan)
Women's Slalom
Shiffrin's ascension to the Olympic alpine skiing throne starts on Tuesday with the defense of her slalom gold.
The 22-year-old, who has won the slalom at the last three World Championships, leaves the starting gate third in the first run of the competition, and she's expected to set the leading mark.
With a victory on Tuesday, Shiffrin will achieve a few different milestones. She would become the first man or woman to earn a repeat title in the slalom event and the first American to win multiple golds in a single alpine skiing event, per FIS-Ski.com.
LENZERHEIDE, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 28: Mikaela Shiffrin of USA in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Slalom on January 28, 2018 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. (Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Shiffrin currently holds an advantage of 175 points over Slovakia's Petra Vlhova in the World Cup standings, and if there is a challenger to her title, it is Vlhova, who will be the first skier on course.
Other medal contenders include Sweden's Frida Hansdotter and Switzerland's Wendy Holdener, who are third and fourth, respectively, in the World Cup standings.
Bernadette Schlid, the younger sister of two-time Olympic runner-up Marlies Schlid, could also factor into the medal discussion.
We've had U.S. snowboarders winning gold medals. We've had some figure skating and short track. And yet in a way, this day — Feb. 14 in South Korea, Feb. 13-14 in the United States — feels like the first full day of the 2018 Olympic Games...
Day 4 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Games brought the first double-podium finish for the United States in this Winter Olympics , and the most recognizable U.S. athlete showed exactly why he's a gold-medal favorite...
Olympic Snowboarding Halfpipe 2018: Live-Stream Schedule for Men's Final
Feb 13, 2018
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his second run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
The men's snowboarding halfpipe final is the Olympic equivalent of the Slam Dunk Contest.
During Monday's qualification runs, Shaun White of the United States, Australia's Scotty James and Japan's Ayumu Hirano set the stage for a thrilling final on Tuesday by one-upping each other with high-level tricks in each of their two runs.
White, who is a two-time Olympic champion in the halfpipe, produced the final mic drop of qualifying, as his second run produced a score of 98.50.
NBC Olympics gave us a look at the run by White on Twitter:
Although the American sits atop the halfpipe throne for now, Hirano and James are expected to break out every possible move in their bag of tricks to stop him from earning his third gold.
Date: Tuesday, February 13 (Event takes place locally on Wednesday, February 14)
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com
White Could Earn 100th American Winter Olympic Gold
White could be a part of all sorts of history on Tuesday night.
The 31-year-old has the opportunity to win his third individual gold and the 100th gold at the Winter Olympics for the United States.
The 99th gold was earned by 17-year-old Chloe Kim, who captured the women's halfpipe title with ease on Monday night.
White's qualifying runs not only showed the other competitors he hasn't lost much despite his age, but it also set him up for his preferred starting position in the final.
Since he earned the top score from the two qualifying runs, he will take the halfpipe last in each of the three runs on Tuesday night.
White hinted at what we might see from him in the final after his second qualification run while talking to NBC, as NBC Olympics captured on Twitter:
The two-time Olympic champion is one of a few American medal hopefuls along with Ben Ferguson, who rocketed up the leaderboard to fourth with a first-run score of 91.00. Chase Josey and Jake Pates qualified in seventh and eighth, respectively.
James and Hirano Will Bring Out Best in White
If Monday's qualification runs were any indication of what we'll see in the final, we are in for one of the best spectacles of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The FIS World Cup snowboarding official Twitter account gave us a look at the standings and how close James and Hirano are to White:
The pair of top challengers may not have Olympic golds on their respective resumes, but they both know how to win major contests.
James is a two-time halfpipe winner at the World Championships, and he earned the No. 1 ranking in the FIS World Cup standings last season.
As he proved during the second run on Monday, the 23-year-old is not afraid of eclipsing White and forcing the American to deliver his best run at any time. For a brief time, the Australian was in first place with a score of 96.75.
Hirano came into the Olympics in arguably the best form of any of the gold-medal contenders, as he won a pair of World Cup halfpipe events and the 2018 X Games competition.
The 19-year-old Japanese rider also sent a statement to White on Monday, as he produced a 95.25 on his second run.
With James and Hirano both expected to improve on their top scores from Monday, White may need a near-perfect score above 99 to feel comfortable about winning gold.
Shaun White Tops Snowboarding Halfpipe Qualifying at Olympics 2018
Feb 13, 2018
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Shaun White of the United States looks on following his first run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Shaun White has cleared the first step on the path to a third Olympic gold medal.
White, who won halfpipe gold in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but finished a disappointing fourth at the 2014 Sochi Games, waited four years to unleash a head-turning run on the stage he was given at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
His score of 98.50 paced the field during the snowboarding halfpipe qualifying runs that aired live Monday night in the United States.
The American was joined by Australia's Scotty James (96.75) and Japan's Ayumu Hirano (95.25) in the top three, as the medal contenders dazzled and set the stage for what promises to be a memorable final.
While White was the headliner, 29 snowboarders partook in the two qualifying runs. The competitor's best individual score is the one used rather than an average of the two runs, giving some leeway room for the top riders should there be a mistake.
The top 12 qualified, and here is a look at the final standings among those who advanced, per Olympic.org:
1. Shaun White, United States, 98.50 points
2. Scotty James, Australia, 96.75 points
3. Ayumu Hirano, Japan, 95.25 points
4. Ben Ferguson, United States, 91.00 points
5. Raibu Katayama, Japan, 90.75 points
6. Jan Scherrer, Switzerland, 84.00 points
7. Chase Josey, United States, 83.75 points
8. Jake Pates, United States, 82.25 points
9. Patrick Burgener, Switzerland, 82.00 points
10. Yuto Totsuka, Japan, 80.00 points
11. Peetu Piiroinen, Finland, 77.50 points
12. Kent Callister, Australia, 77.00 points
With the top 12 advancing, it would have been easy for White to hold back and save some energy for the later runs. Instead, he chose to send a statement to the rest of the field with a massive run right out of the gates.
He included his signature Double McTwist 1260 move in his first run, propelling him to a 93.25 and ahead of the rest of the field. However, James and Hirano each topped him with their second runs before White turned in an "anything you can do I can do better" showing to reclaim his spot atop the qualifying leaderboard.
Rachel Axon of USA Today called White's second run "bonkers," and Shawn Smith of NBC Olympics said "this final's going to be intense."
The showing continued the United States' early dominance in snowboarding in Pyeongchang, as Jamie Anderson (women's slopestyle), Red Gerard (men's slopestyle) and Chloe Kim (women's halfpipe) already won gold in their respective events.
Perhaps the worst news for the rest of the field is the fact White was apparently more nervous in qualifying than he will be with medals hanging in the balance:
Hirano figured to be among White's more formidable threats even before his showing in qualifying, considering he won the silver medal at the 2014 Games. His first run of 87.50 was smooth and seemingly effortless, suggesting there were better things to come.
Better things came in the second run, but he will have to improve once again when the stakes are elevated after White's performance.
James demonstrated he also has the talent to challenge for gold in his second run, while American Ben Ferguson captured massive air in his first run on his way to fourth place with a 91.00.
None of these competitors have to worry about 2014 Olympic gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland. Smith noted Podladtchikov broke his nose during a crash at the X Games and pulled out of the 2018 Games.
That means there will be a new gold medalist, although if White builds on his qualifying performance, the top of the podium will take on a familiar feel.
According to NBC Olympics, the final is set for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET as White looks to capture gold once again.
Shaun White's 2018 Winter Olympics Schedule: Event Times for TV and Live Stream
Feb 12, 2018
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: Shaun White of the United States trains ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Shaun White will begin his quest for a third career gold medal at the Winter Olympics Monday night.
The American snowboarder earned gold in the halfpipe competition in both 2006 and 2010 but finished fourth in 2014. He is now back for more in 2018 in the same event, hoping to get onto the medal stand one more time in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
It all begins with the qualifying round in a loaded field of 29 competitors, including three other athletes from the United States.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: Snowboarder Shaun White of the United States attends during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Unlike other Olympic sports that demand perfection every single round, snowboarding only wants to see your best.
The qualifying round features two runs, with only the top score counting for each athlete. The top 12 competitors in this phase will earn spots in the final, which will be decided one day later.
This shouldn't be a problem for White, who has finished with the top score in his qualifying heat in each of his three Olympic games, per Sports Reference.
In the finals, each competitor will have three chances to post their best score, which will then decide the final standings in this event.
According to OddsShark, White is the favorite to win it all:
The physical traits are there for him to succeed, as he is trying to complete back-to-back 1440s for his run. He knows how to get elite height during his runs, and he uses it to his advantage to complete the top tricks.
However, the biggest challenge for him might be his mentality. White discussed his lack of interest during the disappointing 2014 Games, via Nick Zaccardi of NBC Olympics:
"At the time my heart wasn’t in it. After that Olympics, the easy fix is if you weren’t strong enough, if you didn’t have the right tricks. But getting the mindset better is really hard. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like if you’ve ever been in a relationship and someone is like, they love you. I wish I could flip a switch and love you back...love snowboarding like I did when I was 7."
There should also be plenty of competition from athletes who have seen more recent success.
Ayumu Hirano of Japan might be the biggest threat after winning the 2018 X Games gold medal in the SuperPipe. He took the silver in this event at the 2014 Olympics at just 15 years old and is now more experienced and just as talented.
Fellow Japanese snowboarder Taku Hiraoka could also be a threat after earning bronze in 2014.
Meanwhile, Australia's Scotty James is a medal contender, as well as American riders Ben Ferguson and Chase Josey.
White is the biggest name in the field and is one of the biggest stars in this sport's history, but he will need to be at his best to earn a third Olympic medal this week in South Korea.
NBC Olympics Schedule 2018: USA Prime-Time Coverage and Live Stream
Feb 9, 2018
MERIBEL, FRANCE - MARCH 22: (FRANCE OUT) American World Championship medallists and World Cup globe winners Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn pose for a photo shoot during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals on March 22, 2015 in Meribel, France. (Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
The 2018 Winter Olympics got underway in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Thursday with some preliminary competition ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.
It marks the second time South Korea has welcomed the world's best athletes. Seoul, the country's capital, previously hosted the 1988 Summer Games.
Although there's a 14-hour time difference between Pyeongchang and the United States' Eastern Time zone, NBC will still showcase live coverage in prime time featuring morning events in Korea.
The American contingent that's made its way around the globe will include some familiar faces as well as some rising stars hopeful of bringing a gold medal back stateside.
Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and Shani Davis are among the past Olympic champions who are returning to the world stage for another shot at glory. Mikaela Shiffrin has the best chance to dominate the Games after ruling the World Cup circuit in alpine skiing since winning gold in the slalom four years ago.
Among the new faces, none have generated more attention than Chloe Kim, the 17-year-old snowboarding sensation who's ready to supplant White as the face of the sport in the U.S. She's a four-time X-Games gold medalist and won two golds at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4oBmLsd5YA
While concerns have been raised about the safety of the Games due to ongoing international tensions, including issues with host country neighbor North Korea, United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun is confident in the preparations, per Rick Maese of the Washington Post.
"The risks are different with each Games. We had one set of risks...in Sochi. In Rio, we were concerned about Zika and small-scale crime," Blackmun said in December. "Obviously in Korea, we're concerned about the global tensions. But interestingly, from the standpoint of things that we can control, we actually feel really good. We think we're in a good place."
So let's check out the entire nightly schedule for NBC and the NBC Sports Network. For a complete list of television coverage, visit the official NBC Olympics website. In addition, all events will be available via live stream on NBC Sports Live.
Daily Primetime Schedule
Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted.
Friday, Feb. 9
NBC: Opening Ceremony
Saturday, Feb. 10
NBC: Figure Skating and Alpine Skiing
NBCSN: Snowboarding and Curling
Sunday, Feb. 11 (7 p.m. ET)
NBC: Luge, Freestyle Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Biathlon, Snowboarding and Curling
Monday, Feb. 12
NBC: Snowboarding, Alpine Skiing and Speed Skating
NBCSN: Curling and Hockey
Tuesday, Feb. 13
NBC: Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Hockey
Wednesday, Feb. 14
NBC: Skeleton, Speed Skating, Alpine Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Hockey
Thursday, Feb. 15
NBC: Freestyle Skiing, Skeleton, Snowboarding and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Curling
Friday, Feb. 16
NBC: Freestyle Skiing, Skeleton, Alpine Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Hockey
Saturday, Feb. 17
NBC: Alpine Skiing, Skeleton, Ski Jumping and Short Track Speedskating
NBCSN: Freestyle Skiing and Hockey
Sunday. Feb. 18 (7 p.m. ET)
NBC: Bobsled, Speed Skating, Freestyle Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing and Hockey
Monday, Feb. 19
NBC: Bobsled, Freestyle Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating, Alpine Skiing and Hockey
Tuesday, Feb. 20
NBC: Snowboarding, Bobsled, Alpine Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Curling
Wednesday, Feb. 21
NBC: Freestyle Skiing, Bobsled, Alpine Skiing and Cross-Country Skiing
NBCSN: Curling and Hockey
Thursday, Feb. 22
NBC: Short Track Speedskating, Snowboarding, Alpine Skiing and Figure Skating
NBCSN: Figure Skating and Curling
Friday, Feb. 23
NBC: Bobsled, Speed Skating, Snowboarding and Alpine Skiing
NBCSN: Biathlon and Curling
Saturday, Feb. 24
NBC: Bobsled and Figure Skating Gala
NBCSN: Curling and Hockey
Sunday, Feb. 25
NBC: Closing Ceremony
Olympic Snowboarding 2018: Updated Odds and NBC Live-Stream Schedule
Feb 8, 2018
SNOWMASS, CO - JANUARY 11: Chloe Kim #1 competes in qualifying for the Ladies' Snowboard Halfpipe final during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix on January 11, 2018 in Snowmass, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Ever since snowboarding was brought into the Winter Olympics in 1998, some of the most recognizable faces on the United States Olympic team have come from the sport.
The Pyeongchang Olympics are no different in that regard, as Chloe Kim and Shaun White are expected to dominate the headlines in the halfpipe, while the rest of the American contingent is capable of bringing home an impressive medal haul.
The United States enters South Korea with 24 snowboarding medals, which is the most of any nation, but the introduction of events like the parallel giant slalom in recent years have begun to level the playing field.
For the 2018 Olympics, big air was added to the snowboarding program, but we'll have to wait until the second week of competition for that.
Snowboarding begins with the slopestyle competitions on Saturday, February 10, before the halfpipe takes center stage as the sport's marquee event on February 13 and 14.
Men's snowboard cross (9 p.m. ET; final at 12:45 a.m. ET on February 16)
Thursday, February 15
Women's snowboard cross (8 p.m. ET; final at 10:56 p.m. ET)
Sunday, February 18
Women's big air qualifying (7:30 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, February 20
Men's big air qualifying (7:30 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, February 21
Men's and women's parallel giant slalom qualifying (10 p.m. ET)
Thursday, February 22
Women's big air final (7:30 p.m. ET; final at 8:30 p.m. ET)
Friday, February 23
Men's big air (8 p.m. ET; final at 9 p.m. ET)
Men's and women's parallel giant slalom (10 p.m. ET; women's final at 11 p.m. ET, men's final at 11:07 p.m. ET)
American Dominance Expected to Continue
The United States has won a medal in each of the five male and female snowboarding disciplines at the Olympics.
Three golds were earned by the Americans in Sochi, with Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson capturing the inaugural slopestyle competitions and Kaitlyn Farrington taking first in the women's halfipipe.
The halfpipe is where the United States is expected to dominate in 2018, with Kim and White entering Pyeongchang as favorites to win their respective events.
SNOWMASS, CO - JANUARY 13: Shaun White #2 celebrates his score of his final run in the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe final during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix on January 13, 2018 in Snowmass, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
In addition to the potential halfpipe golds, Anderson stands a good chance of repeating in the women's slopestyle.
While some of the favorites will win, don't count out an unexpected champion to come out of the American ranks, just like Farrington did four years ago.
Marcus Kleveland Could be Snowboarding's Breakout Star
Norway's Marcus Kleveland took the snowboarding world by surprise a year ago, as he took first in the slopestyle and second in the big air at the 2017 Winter X Games.
The 18-year-old is still a relative unknown on the international stage, but he has the opportunity to change that over the next two weeks as he tries to win gold in both events.
SIERRA NEVADA, SPAIN - MARCH 17: Marcus Kleveland of Norway competes in the Men's Snowboard Big Air final on day ten of FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships 2017 on March 17, 2017 in Sierra Nevada, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
During the big air competition, Kleveland landed the first-ever backside quad cork 1800, and as one of the only snowboarders with the daring trick in his arsenal, he could use the Olympic big air competition as a showcase of his skills on his way to a gold medal.
If he goes on to win one of his marquee events, Kleveland will be the first Norwegian to win gold in snowboarding at the Olympics.
Snowboarding is the only sport at the Winter Olympics in which Norway hasn't captured first place. Norway has three silvers and one bronze, including Stale Sandbech's silver in slopestyle four years ago.
