The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The “not milk” generation: How Gen Z prompted milk’s rebrand
A piece of our history: A look into the Montgomery Farm Women’s Co-operative Market
LIVE: Baseball takes on Richard Montgomery in home opener
Coach Manon achieves 200 wins and state championship in a thrilling wrestling season
Overtime Elite: A new wave of professional basketball
Proposed bill will guarantee top 10% of Maryland students to 12 Maryland universities

Proposed bill will guarantee top 10% of Maryland students to 12 Maryland universities

March 21, 2024

US Winter Olympic preview

*Also by Sam Oshinsky*

The winter is a time when students pray for snow days, go out sledding and some even shred the slopes, but this year, those who love winter and its sports will be focused on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Spectator previews some of the top sports and athletes from the U.S.

BOBSLEIGH

Story continues below advertisement

Ever since Hollywood’s groundbreaking blockbuster, “Cool Runnings” came to theaters in 1993, bobsled, officially called bobsleigh, has quickly become one of the most popular events at the winter Olympics.  One hundred seventy athletes from all over the world will compete in the two and four person bobsleigh.  After a strong showing in the 2006 Olympic games in Torino, many analysts expect the USA team to earn top honors this year in Vancouver.    

Photo courtesy of the associated press

Shauna Rohbock- Rohbock began her career as a brake woman, the person in charge of slowing down the sled during turns to keep it from crashing into the wall and also providing the initial push, but she is now one of the team’s strongest drivers.  She took home seven medals from the World Cup in the 2006-2007 season and was ranked second overall. Continuing to build on that success, Rohbock ranked third overall in the 2009-2010 World Cup and won silver in the 2006 Olympics in Torino. According to ESPN expert Amy Rosewater, Rohbock has the experience to take home a medal in Vancouver. 

Steve Holcomb– Holcomb is USA bobsleigh’s strongest competitor.  After taking home the gold in 2006, he hopes to repeat this success in Vancouver. He was the first American to win a four-man world cup in North America in the 2007-2008 season.

Elana Meyers– Meyers started her bobsledding career in 2007 and made the national team the same season. She won a bronze medal with driver Shauna Rohbock in the 2008 World Cup, a gold medal at the inaugural 2008-2009 World Cup in Canada and took home silver with Rohbock at the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid. Still relatively new to the sport, Meyers continues to improve.  With the help of her partner, she will be a significant competitor in Vancouver.

MOGULS Mogul skiers fly down the slope through huge bumps and pulling tricks off of kickers that are built into the course. Competitors are judged on their turns, their time and the difficulty and technicality of their tricks.

Pat Deneen– At only 21, Deneen is one of the fastest mogul skiers in the world.  He won gold at the 2009 World Championships and was named International Ski Federation Rookie of the Year in 2008. Before his World Championship, Deneen beat out all of his U.S. teammates at the Vancouver Olympic Test Event, finishing fourth. His speed and sharp, precise turns make him a dangerous competitor.

SNOWBOARDINGAlways a crowd favorite, snowboarders never fail to entertain with their half pipe tricks and downhill precision. The U.S. team has many boarders who proved themselves in Torino and with the experience they have gained over the last four years, the current team is looking as strong as ever.

Shaun White- The face of snowboarding, White has been known to light up the pipe with his innovative tricks. He is sure to bring something new to snowboarding during these Olympics, a fan favorite is his new double McTwist 1260. White won an Olympic gold medal in 2006 and earned top honors at the Winter X-Games and Burton Global Open Championships in the super pipe.  He won two more gold medals at the 2009 Winter X Games.  White is always the favorite, and he and his infamous red hair are sure to be in the top three in Vancouver.

Gretchen Bleiler- Bleiler became a professional snowboarder at the ripe age of 15 and hasn’t looked back. She earned three gold medals in the Winter X-Games in 2003, 2005 and 2008, and won silver at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino.  That same year, she was named Female Snowboarder of the Year at Fuel’s Action Sports Awards.  ESPN predicts Bleiler to be a gold medal contender in Vancouver.

SPEED SKATING Speed skating is an increasingly popular event in the Olympics that has been compared to track on ice.  Competitors sprint around a circular track in different distances or in relays.  The U.S. team is always a one of the fastest and will return to the stand in 2010. With Stephen Colbert sponsoring this year’s team, there seems to be no way they can lose.

Photo courtesy of g-skate.com

J.R. Celski- At 18, Celski is not only young but also extremely talented, proving himself in the 2009 World Championships in Norway where he won two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals.  Though Celski is untested on a stage this big, he is sure to make it up onto the podium.

Allison Baver A strong veteran, Baver just barely missed the podium in 2006. But with more medals on the World Cup circuit than any other U.S. speed skater in the last 15 years, she has the experience and talent to win a medal. Though Baver has not won an Olympic medal yet, she came close in 2006 with a fourth place finish in the relay. Last February, she broke her leg but has rehabbed and returned to her peak physical condition. 

SLALOMIn this popular Olympic race, skiers fly down the mountain on water-injected courses topping 90 miles per hour in the fastest parts of the track.

Photo courtesy of daymix.com

Lindsey Vonn- This great slalom racer should brand one thing into your mind, determination.  In the Torino Olympics, Vonn fell and bruised her leg and hip badly, but fought through to finish eighth.  Vonn recently fell and injured her arm, but she is now back on her skis.  ESPN analysts say that if her health holds up, she should earn a spot on the podium.

Resi Stiegler– Stiegler is a part of the new, talented U.S. corps of slalom racers.  Many say that she is the one U.S. skier who can keep up with the lightning-fast Vonn. Stiegler placed eleventh in the combined time event and twelfth in the slalom, but has shown great leaps of improvement in the past four years.

More to Discover