Who will be the youngest member of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team?
Here are five candidates:
Vincent Zhou, Figure Skating, Age 16
The surprise U.S. silver medalist behind Nathan Chen last month. Zhou’s quadruple jump arsenal is second only to Chen among Americans. Zhou has never skated in senior international competition, but the second spot (and possibly third) on the U.S. Olympic team appears up for grabs behind Chen.
Red Gerard, Snowboarding, Age 16
Gerard is halfway to an automatic PyeongChang berth after winning the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., the first U.S. Olympic slopestyle qualifier, on Sunday. Pretty much another podium finish in one of the final three qualifiers next season will ink him on the Olympic team as the youngest U.S. Olympic male snowboarder of all time.
Chloe Kim, Snowboarding, Age 16
Kim is the most acclaimed athlete on this list with two X Games halfpipe titles, Youth Olympic gold and a bevy of sponsorships. She had won seven straight halfpipe contests before finishing third at the X Games in January and fourth at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth last weekend.
Hailey Langland, Snowboarding, Age 16
Langland could go for medals in big air and the new Olympic event of slopestyle in PyeongChang. She won the former and finished fourth in the latter at X Games last month and followed that up by finishing second in the first Olympic slopestyle qualifier the following week.
Maddie Mastro, Snowboarding, Age 16
When Kim scored a perfect 100 at the 2016 U.S. Grand Prix at Park City, it was Mastro who finished second with a strong 92 points. The competition for one of four Olympic women’s halfpipe spots will be fierce. Older hopefuls include Olympic champions Kelly Clark and Hannah Teter, current X Games champion Elena Hight and 2013 World champion Arielle Gold.
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Storylines | 18 US Stars | 18 Global Stars | Strange Olympic Hopefuls | Key events
Oldest US Olympian? | Youngest US Olympian? | Venue Photo Gallery | North Korea
