Tube Talk: Epic Finishes and Heartbreaking Wipeouts from Sochi
I admit, I struggle to keep up with the Olympics. With so many different competitions and so many different names, how are we be supposed to keep up with everything that happens?! Although it offers a great reason to continue procrastinating readings and papers (in 10 years what will we still be talking about anyway — this assignment or the craziness of the 2014 Olympics?), I still find myself falling behind, a gold medal for couch-lympics nowhere in sight. Now that you have the Olympic playlist to get through the marathon of recaps and live streams, we thought we’d look back at some of the best and worst that Sochi has offered over these weeks. Ready, set, go!
Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, Figure-Skating Pairs
With lots of talk about the return of Russian figure skating at this year’s Olympics, this pair certainly delivered. Volosozhar and Trankov had some of the most difficult programs out of their competitors, and the flawless execution ensured a golden future for the couple.
Shaun White, Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe
After announcing his plans to skip the slopestyle competition this year, audiences expected White to perform even better in his halfpipe. However, his attempt for a third gold in the men’s halfpipe fell short, as the fan favorite didn’t even medal. And no one will forget that he lost to a man who calls himself “iPod,” and knocked out the competition with his “YOLO” trick…
Kaitlyn Farrington, Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Farrington’s golden dreams came true this year, thanks to just a quarter of a point. After fighting to get into the finals, the U.S. snowboarder somehow managed to come out on top of the rest of the competition. The judges were blown away by Farrington’s back-to-back backward spins and rewarded her for nailing these demanding tricks. Defending champion Torah Bright of Australia snagged the silver while U.S. teammate Kelly Clark brought home a bronze medal.
Julia Mancuso, Women’s Downhill Alpine Skiing
America’s golden girl of alpine skiing said she started overthinking during this event, which costed her a medal when she finished eighth. However, her time in Sochi was sweetened by winning bronze in the super combined slalom the day before. The downhill event had a surprise twist at the end though, when Dominique Gisin of Switzerland and Tina Maze of Slovenia made Olympic history with their tied finishes for gold.
Sage Kotsenburg, Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle
Kotsenburg became the first gold medal winner in Sochi with his amazing performance in the slopestyle event. He also unveiled a trick he had never tried before — the “Holy Crail,” pictured above, where he grabbed the back of his board and rotated 4.5 times, wowing everyone in the crowd. Besides gold and fame, he’s also bringing home a medal made of bacon.
Marie Marchand-Arvier, Women’s Downhill Alpine Skiing
When Marchand-Arvier started off her run, there appeared to be no reason for something to go terribly wrong and she even had a chance at medaling. Unfortunately, the French skier lost control and went crashing into the course’s safety net. Luckily, she wasn’t hurt from her serious tumble.
Carina Vogt, Women’s Normal Hill Ski Jump
After 80 years of ski jumping being a male-only zone, Vogt became the first women’s normal hill ski jump gold medalist. Although there were only three medals given out, every competitor walked away proud. Unsurprisingly, Vogt’s win had everyone crying tears of joy.
Sarka Pancochova, Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Pancochova’s nasty fall broke her helmet and made her unconscious for a moment, but even that didn’t hold back this snowboarder. After suffering one of the worst falls in Sochi, the Czech native still managed to finish fifth and advance to the semifinals. Talk about persistence!
Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton, Two-Man Bobsled
The two Steves brought glory back to the U.S. bobsled team with its first medal in 62 years, finishing with a bronze despite Holcomb’s calf injury and having less practice time on the run. Holcomb has proven himself as one of the best in bobsledding, having helped end a 62-year drought of U.S. medals.