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With the start of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, another Olympics is taking place under the shadow of a global pandemic. Despite the ongoing pandemic, almost 3,000 athletes are still placing their hopes for gold on these Games. Over 90 countries have sent athletes to compete in more than 100 unique events. Who should you be on the lookout for this year when you tune into the Games? Check out these athletes to watch in 2022 in Beijing.
Chloe Kim – United States
Chloe Kim has been snowboarding since the age of four, giving her plenty of experience heading into the Games. Kim’s father immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea before giving up his job in order to help advance the snowboarding dreams of his daughter. Kim has routinely credited her parents for their dedication to her Olympic dreams. She won the women’s halfpipe event four years ago at PyeongChang at the age of just 17, making her the youngest woman to win a gold medal in the sport. Kim is expected once again to compete for gold in the women’s halfpipe event.
Benjamin Alexander – Jamaica
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Benjamin Alexander was spinning the tunes as a DJ when he realized that he had a love for snow sports. During a company ski trip in 2015, he decided he wanted to go after gold in the men’s giant slalom event. Alexander is distinguished as being Jamaica’s first ever alpine skier in the Winter Games. All eyes will be on him as he takes to the slopes on February 13.
Su Yiming – People’s Republic of China
China is not historically known for its snowboarding prowess, however, Su Yiming is dreaming of changing that. Last year at the age of just 17, Yiming became the first snowboarder from China to make it to a podium in the World Cup. Su is scheduled to compete in both the men’s snowboard slopestyle as well as the men’s snowboard big air events.
Nathan Chen – United States
Nathan Chen is on a roll. The men’s figure skater broke his own national record in the men’s short program during last month’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships. As the three-time world champion, Chen is poised to make a big run at the gold in Beijing. Chen will compete in both the men’s single skating event and the team event. He is hoping to add to his bronze medal that he earned at PyeongChang in 2018.
Kamila Valieva – Russian Olympic Committee
Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva is already making a name for herself at the young age of 15. Just last month, she became the first female skater to soar over 90 points in the short program of the European Figure Skating Championships. Valieva will compete in both the women’s single skating event and the team event. She led the women’s short program standings after the qualification event. Valieva said that she is competing for her grandmother who recently passed away.
Erin Jackson – United States
It was a rough start to the year for speed skater Erin Jackson. Despite being ranked number one in the world, Jackson failed to qualify for the 500-meter event during the U.S. Trials in January. However, Jackson snagged a spot on the team after Brittany Bowe gave up her spot, saying that nobody was more deserving than Jackson to compete for Team USA. After the amazing display of patriotism, Bowe was awarded a spot when Team USA picked up an additional spot after some nations did not fulfill the available slots. Jackson is considered to be a top contender in the women’s 500-meter and 1,000-meter events.
Arianna Fontana – Italy
Ariana Fontana has already won eight Olympic medals in the sport of speed skating. Will she add more to her count this year in Beijing? As one of the most decorated athletes in the sport of short track speed skating, Fontana is also the youngest Italian athlete to ever win a medal at the Winter Games. She nabbed a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter relay event in 2006 when she competed on her home soil in Torino.
Maame Biney – United States
Giving Fontana a run at the gold will be U.S. speed skater Maame Biney. She first competed in PyeongChang in 2018, making history as the first Black woman on the Team USA short track speed skating contingent. Biney is slated to take to the ice in the women’s 3,000-meter relay event.
Timothy LeDuc – United States
Timothy LeDuc is ready to make history as the first openly non-binary athlete at the Winter Olympics for Team USA. LeDuc owns this distinction, saying that they want openly queer people to be successful in any sport. LeDuc is set to compete in the pair skating event with Ashly Cain-Gribble. LeDuc will also compete at the team event in Beijing.
While these athletes are already getting top billing, there are hundreds more just like them ready to shine in these Games. You can tune in to see who will reach Olympics glory in Beijing.
