California Athletes Competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics

The time is getting closer for the 2018 Winter Olympics to kick off, with the games being hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The United States is once again looking to dominate the competition, with our athletes all hungry to take home the coveted gold in their respective sports. There are so many Olympic athletes and competitions to watch – in all, 242 athletes will be representing the U.S.

There are several athletes who will also be representing California (and San Diego), so keep an eye out for them during the games!

Nick Cunningham – Bobsled

Hometown: Monterey, CA

Cunningham serves as a Sergeant in the New York National Guard in the 1156 ENG CO, and is also a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. In college, he was elected team captain for the track team, but enjoys a multitude of other sports, including football, surfing, and rodeo. His favorite bobsled memory is accepting his first gold medal while the national anthem played in the background. He has competed in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Chris Knierim – Ice Skating

Hometown: San Diego, CA

A San Diego native, Chris is a brother to three siblings, and competes as a figure skater. He began skating at the age of 12, and began competing with his partner, Alexa Scimeca, in 2012. In 2016, they got married after skating together for 4 years. Some of his hobbies include camping, hiking, and working on cars. In the future, he hopes to open his own auto shop. This is his first time competing in the Olympics.

Cayla Barnes – Ice Hockey

Hometown: Eastvale, CA

This 19 year old will be competing with the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team. She became the first player to win three consecutive gold medals at the IHF U18 Women’s World Championship after taking the crown in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In High School, she finished her hockey career with a 155 career points in 112 games from 42 goals and 103 assists. Some of her hobbies include soccer, lacrosse, reading and roller hockey

Maddie Bowman – Freestyle Skiing

Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, CA

This 24-year old won a gold medal in Sochii for the Freestyle Halfpipe, with this being her second appearance in the Olympics. She comes from a family who has competed in skiing, with her father formerly competing on the U.S. National Alpine Ski Team. She played soccer throughout high school, winning a state championship. Some of her hobbies include boating, mountain biking, and hiking.

Shaun White – Snowboarding

Hometown: Carlsbad, CA

Perhaps one of the most famous California athletes competing this year, this will be his fourth Olympic games. He has a illustrious career that started when he was only 13 years old. White has won 10 ESPY awards for Best Male Action Sports Athlete and Best Male U.S. Olympic Athlete. He took home a gold medal in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, and came in fourth place at the Sochii Olympics. Some of his hobbies include playing guitar, surfing, and mountain biking.

Vincent Zhou – Ice Skating

Hometown: Palo Alto, CA

Zhou began skating at the young age of 5 while at a friends birthday party. From then on, he knew he had discovered his passion. Zhou is one of the youngest U.S. athletes competing this year, at the age of 17. He graduated high school at the age of 16, and took a year off school in order to focus on his training. In 2018, he plans to attend college in the fall. Some of his hobbies include hiking, writing short poems, and taking care of small animals.