The Olympic games in Milan brought thousands of athletes together in this year’s 25th annual Winter Olympics, which took place from February 6-22. The United States experienced success in the games, winning gold medals in everything from ice hockey to bobsledding. Team USA came home with the second most medals, with stars like Alysa Liu, Ilia Malinin and Quinn Hughes standing out.
“One of the highlights of the Olympics for me wasn’t just the US winning medals but also seeing countries across the world come together for an event like this. You see island countries with only one athlete getting as much applause as these huge countries which is what the Olympics are all about,” junior Keith Luu said.
One of the most popular Olympic sports is ice hockey, in which Team USA won both gold medals, with the men’s team winning their first since 1980. The USA men won in a thriller, beating heavy favorites Canada in overtime. Top scorer Quinn Hughes scored the game winning goal and Conner Hellybuyck, who was previously benched in big moments, saved 41 out of 42 shots against Canada. The women’s team was just as impressive with the first undefeated run since 1998, outscoring their opponents 33 to 2 across seven games.
“The US hockey team wasn’t just dominant. It showed that we have the best athletes in the world and we deserved that medal,” freshman Giovani Lorruso said.
Team USA was also able to stand out in figure skating, capturing the younger generation’s heart with performances from skaters such as Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin. Liu, who previously retired at the age of 16, returned to the big stage and took home gold for the first time in 24 years for the U.S. Even though Ilia Malinin fell short in the individual skating competition, his technical prowess helped the team win gold. Both of these young skaters amassed huge amounts of followers, with Alysa Liu becoming the most followed figure skater of all time.
“I know Ilia Malinin didn’t win a gold this year but he will. He’s reinventing the entire sport and we get to witness it,” seventh grader Zachary Silver said.
The Olympics served as an opportunity for NHP to watch some of the world’s best athletes compete while celebrating the unity that makes the games special. From historic performances to the emergence of new athletes, Team USA gave fans many moments to remember.
“Generally it’s the hockey that was so unbelievable. Just how gracious the players were to one another and to the Canada team is amazing. It shows just how important sports are, especially today,” math teacher and tennis coach Mr. Basil said.
