Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/934458
Jessie Diggins Cross-Country Skiing Fast Facts • Born Aug. 26, 1991, in Afton, Minnesota (age 26) • Writes a blog on her personal website chronicling her cross-country skiing adventures • Known as Team USA's "glitter fairy" for decorating her cheeks with glitter before races • Hobbies include swimming, cliff jumping, playing violin and dancing • Choreographed the viral YouTube video titled "Uptown Funk-US Ski Team Style" J essie Diggins was cross-country skiing before she could even walk. As a toddler, she would follow along on her father's back in a baby carrier backpack while he would ski the trails near their home in Minnesota. She got her first set of skis when she was 3 years old and joined the Minnesota Youth Ski League soon after. Diggins went on to win five U.S. junior titles and three state championships in Minnesota before landing a spot on Team USA in 2011. A year later, she teamed up with Kikkan Randall to win the first-ever American gold medal in the team sprint at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Diggins is set to take on her second Winter Olympic Games this year and improve on her results from Sochi 2014, where she did not reach the podium. In the past two seasons, Diggins has vastly improved in the World Cup standings, going from 22nd overall in 2015 to sixth overall in 2017. She has reached the age when cross-country skiers tend to peak, and she is America's best chance to win a medal in Nordic at Pyeongchang 2018. Nathan Chen Figure Skating Fast Facts • Born May 5, 1999, in Salt Lake City, Utah (age 18) • His skating costumes for Pyeongchang 2018 are designed by Vera Wang • Hobbies include photography and playing the piano • Plans to attend medical school • Attributes much of his success to his mother N athan Chen began skating at the age of 3 to become a hockey goalie, until he realized his true passion was in skating. He entered his first figure skating competition in 2003 and went on to win four national championships in the novice and junior levels from 2010 to 2014. Chen's first season on the international circuit as a senior came in the 2016-17 season, and it did not take him long to break through as one of the most dominant skaters in his discipline. At only 17 years of age, he became the youngest American male skater to medal at the 2016-17 Grand Prix Final when he finished second behind reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu — a skating rival whom Chen credits as an inspiration. He improved on that feat only one year later when he became the youngest American male skater to win the gold medal at the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final. He stands out from his competitors because of the number of quadruple jumps he is able to include in his program. Currently the only skater competing with five different types of quadruple jumps, Chen is a podium threat at Pyeongchang 2018, with his eye on the gold medal. WHO tO Photos courtesy USOC/NBC Olympics Jamie Anderson Snowboarding Fast Facts • Born Sept. 13, 1990, in South Lake Tahoe, California (age 27) • Launched an environmentally conscious clothing company called TRYE (To Respect Your Earth) • Favorite non-snowboarding activities include hiking, camping and yoga • Was homeschooled with her five sisters, the eldest two of whom introduced her to snowboarding • Her sister Joanie won the 2007 X-Games in snowboardcross J amie Anderson learned to snowboard when she was 9 years old when she was first introduced to the sport through her older sisters. By the time she was 13, she was competing in her first Winter X Games. At 15, she surpassed Shaun White as the youngest snowboarder to achieve a podium finish at the Winter X Games, and at 16 she became the youngest woman to win a Winter X Games gold medal. Since then, Anderson has won multiple gold medals in the slopestyle event and won several season championships in the TTR World Tour and Winter Dew Tour. Anderson made history at Sochi 2014 when she became the first Olympic gold medalist in slopestyle snowboarding. She looks to defend her gold medal in the slopestyle event, while adding to history again when the big air event makes its Olympic debut at Pyeongchang 2018. Lowell Bailey Biathlon Fast Facts • Born July 15, 1981, in Siler City, North Carolina (age 36) • Enjoys playing the guitar and mandolin in two bluegrass bands • Often repeats a Theodore Roosevelt quote in the starting gate that says, "Do what you can, with what you got, where you are" • Was a three-time NCAA All-American while attending the University of Vermont • Has a Bernese mountain dog named Hazel G rowing up in Lake Placid, New York, Lowell Bailey participated in several winter sports, including cross-country skiing, but only shot his first biathlon rifle at the age of 14. After years of competing, Bailey saw his breakout season at the age of 30, when he broke into the top 20 of the World Cup rankings for the first time. He finished 14th at the end of the 2011-12 season, improving on his ranking of 41st from the previous year, and he finished last season in eighth position. His first World Cup podium came in 2014 when he finished second in the 10 km sprint at Kontiolahti, Finland. Most recently, a year before considering retiring to become a cattle farmer, Bailey became the first American biathlon world champion when he won his first World Cup gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria. In doing so, he also became the oldest individual gold medalist in world championship history, at 35 years and 216 days. Bailey will be an inspiration for most at Pyeongchang 2018, since he exemplifies why one should never give up on their goals. WHO tO Photos courtesy USOC/NBC Olympics 4 2.4.2018