Eleven of the 23 U.S. medals came from snowboarding and freestyle skiingGETTY IMAGES
Team USA closed the Pyeongchang Games with 23 total medals, its "lowest medal haul in 20 years," and it could be "even worse than it looks like because of all the new, American-friendly sports that have been added to the program over the past two decades," according to Eddie Pells of the AP. USOC Chief of Sport Performance Alan Ashley during the organization's closing news conference said, "We're going to take a hard look at what occurred here." U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn earlier in the Games "gave an impassioned plea not to judge everything by the number of medals collected." Ashley said that there was "plenty of room for improvement, and promised to break down what went wrong." However, he added that he "derived hope from the 35 athletes who finished fourth through sixth." Pells noted 11 of the 23 U.S. medals "came from snowboarding and freestyle skiing, events that were added" beginning with the '92 Albertville Games. The USOC spends more than $60M "during an Olympic cycle to support winter athletes and their sports organizations." Since Ashley took over in '10, more emphasis has been placed on "funneling the money more toward sports that have medal hopes as opposed to developing pipelines for less-successful sports to grow" (AP, 2/24). Despite the lack of overall medals, the nine Gold Medals claimed by Team USA is "just one off the all-time record of 10" set during the '02 Salt Lake City Games ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 2/25).
BOARD GAMES: In Boston, Matt Pepin noted the Silver Medal won Saturday by Kyle Mack in the men's Big Air "capped an Olympics at which snowboarding ... has enjoyed a massive share of the spotlight." The U.S. "continued its success in snowboarding" with the Silvers won in Big Air by Mack and Jamie Anderson (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/24). In DC, Rick Maese noted while the U.S. was "slow to find much success in the so-called traditional winter sports early in these Games, the high-flying, twirling snow magicians took the spotlight" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/25). In Boston, John Powers noted snowboarders and skiers "contributed 15 medals and seven golds" to the U.S. total. Only eight medals "came from the ice sports and the only golds were produced by the women's hockey team ... and by the men's curlers" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/25).
MISSING OUT IN TRADITIONAL EVENTS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Rachel Bachman noted Team USA "showed their range" by winning medals in 11 of 15 sports, a "record for any nations at the Winter Games." However, it has "atrophied ... in a few sports the U.S. once closely contested," such as short-track speedskating and women's figure skating (WSJ.com, 2/25). In Salt Lake City, Christopher Kamrani noted the "drought continues" in biathlon and ski jumping, while skeleton also "didn't medal." However, there were a "couple of stunners," like the Silver Medals won by luger Chris Mazdzer and short-track speedskater John-Henry Krueger (SLTRIB.com, 2/25). YAHOO SPORTS' Jay Busbee noted the USOC "generally allocates the most money to the sports that have the best medal projections." Busbee: "What to do when the marquee sports like skiing and ice skating have poor medal prospects? It's a dilemma that will challenge the United States' flexibility and creativity" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/25).
WE'RE NO. 4? The AP's Paul Newberry noted no amount of "soaring visuals or tear-jerking features or hokey patriotism could gloss over this reality: Team USA did not live up to expectations" at Pyeongchang (AP, 2/25). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan noted emphasizing "close calls has become a theme for the USOC since the middle of these Games, when it became apparent that U.S. athletes were not winning medals at the pace that was expected." Brennan: "Embracing near misses is a risky public relations philosophy for a nation accustomed to winning at all costs" (USATODAY.com, 2/25). In San Diego, Mark Zeigler noted people will "hear about all the fourth- and fifth-place finishes, about the breakthroughs in cross-country skiing and curling, how this is Team USA's fifth largest medal haul in Winter Games history, how it's only two behind 2006 and five behind 2014." Zeigler: "The IOC keeps adding obscure events that Americans excel in because, well, NBC isn't paying $7.75 billion to show them get fourth" (SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.com, 2/25).
EVERYTHING EBBS AND FLOWS: ESPN's Jeremy Schaap noted the medal count is "cyclical" and noted these are sports "we don't focus on very much." He said, "As Americans, for us to suddenly start complaining about our Winter Olympic team's performance -- it's like, well, you haven't really cared for the last four years, why are you upset now?" Schaap: "We think about 1980 Lake Placid and there are all of those indelible memories. … The U.S. walked away from Lake Placid ... with six Gold Medals. (Speedskater Eric) Heiden had five of them, the hockey team had one. The first Winter Olympics I covered in 1992, only one of the events that the Americans won in these games existed back then. ... The other eight weren't even on the Olympic program back then. So, it’s not just about the number, it’s about which events we’re winning” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 2/25).
WOMEN RULE THE DAY: The BOSTON GLOBE's Pepin noted the "success of the female members of Team USA was a point of pride for the USOC." Women won 12 medals and added two more in mixed events. U.S. women's hockey F Meghan Duggan "was proud of the way the medals standings turned out." Duggan: "It's been so empowering. I'm so proud to be a woman in this society and climate these days. I think this has been a fantastic Games for Team USA, certainly has been a fantastic Games for women" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/25). U.S. women's hockey F Hannah Brandt said, "I've already heard from so many people back home. People tweeting at us that we've inspired many people to start playing hockey. I think we've generated a lot of new fans, and I think for us to be able to do that, that's what we're here to do. We spread the game, be role models for little girls back home” (“CBS This Morning: Saturday,” 2/24). NBC's Mike Tirico asked, "How many young girls will be Jocelyne Lamoureux or Maddie Rooney in their dreams, their driveways and maybe someday on Olympic ice?” (“Winter Olympics,” NBC, 2/25).
MIRACURL ON ICE: In Boston, Tara Sullivan wrote U.S. curling skip John Shuster has taken his "rightful place in one of the best sports narrative we know" after guiding the U.S. curling team to the Gold. Sullivan: "The one that sees a man refuse to give up on what he loves, even after it tears his heart out, who fights like hell to rediscover what made him love it in the first place then channels that love into the best performance of his life. ... Are you listening, Hollywood?" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/24). In Minneapolis, Chip Scoggins noted Shuster is behind "one of the greatest surprise endings in Olympic history." Scoggins: "This is a fairy tale" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 2/24). The AP's Newberry noted while "nothing will ever compare to the real Miracle on Ice ... this will rank right up there in the curling world" (AP, 2/24). But in DC, Barry Svrluga wrote, "Let's not pretend this was the 'Miracle on Ice.' ... It's not even as significant as the American gold in women's hockey." Svrluga: "We can't just declare, in one evening, that curling somehow unified a broken country" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/24).
