Winter Olympics Guide

Pyeongchang 2018

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J ohn-Henry Krueger's life of skating started when he was 5 years old when his mom would bring him and his older brother, Cole, to the rink while she taught figure skating. Cole eventually found his way into short track speedskating and John-Henry followed suit to stick with his older brother. The brothers moved to Salt Lake City in their teens to train with the national short track team, where Krueger soon became a short track prodigy. He looked poised to the make the 2014 Olympic team in Sochi but came down with swine flu during the Olympic trials. Krueger won the 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter titles at the Olympic trials this time around and is ready for his Olympic debut in South Korea — a country he lived and trained in when he raced for the Korean National Sport University. Pyeongchang 2018 is Krueger's opportunity to show the world what Sochi 2014 was missing. Fast Facts • Born March 27, 1995, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (age 22) • His pre- competition superstition is putting his right skate on before his left skate • Admires Usain Bolt's calm and confident demeanor at competitions • Was a member of the U.S. team that set a new world record in the 5,000-meter relay event in November 2017 • His dream job is teaching English in a foreign country John-Henry Krueger Speedskating - Short Track WHO tO Photos courtesy USOC/NBC Olympics Chris Mazdzer Luge Fast Facts • Born June 26, 1988, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (age 29) • Played lacrosse and soccer in high school • Is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys rock climbing and mountain biking • Is the athlete representative to the executive board of the Federation of International Luge • Won the 2015-16 FIL World Cup men's singles events at Lake Placid and Park City M azdzer was first introduced to luge at the age of 10 when he saw the sport being televised during the 1998 Nagano Games. Now, at 29 years of age and with two Winter Olympic Games behind him, Mazdzer is considered a veteran of the sport and will be leading a young Team USA that includes Tucker West and Taylor Morris at Pyeongchang 2018. The United States has collected only five medals in luge since the sport's introduction at the 1964 Winter Olympics and has never won gold. Mazdzer looks to improve on his previous performances at the Olympics, where he finished 13th at both Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. His eyes are on gold, but his ultimate goal is to become the first men's singles rider to represent the United States on the podium. 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 8 2.4.2018 hogeye masonry 479.601.7640 MASONRY WORK Brick • Block • Stone Remodel & New Construction Patios & Retaining Walls BBQ's & Outdoor Fireplaces & Firepits Concrete Footings & Slabs

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