2010 Winter Olympics Gold Medal Highlights

As we enter into the second week of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the U.S. has done extremely well for itself, with an impressive lead at 21 total Olympic medals. Germany currently trails behind in second at a total of 13. These Olympians displayed a performance that was out of ordinary, reaching the pinnacle of human athletic achievement and distracting me from the cute mascots (remind you of Beijing 2008 much?). After all, they can do what I could only ever imagine doing in my wildest dreams. If watching these video highlights of the 2010 Winter  Olympics does not make you want to drop whatever you’re doing and flee to the slopes until you can master that halfpipe jump, I don’t know what will.

Shaun White- Snowboarding
Carlsbad native, Shaun White, now 2-time Olympic Gold medalist, took the show on the men’s halfpipe with a score of 48.4 points. Looking past his trademark long mangy hair, and the fact that he is in serious need of a haircut, Shaun, that was ridiculously sick (vocab courtesy of my boarder friends).

Ever wonder how he got so good? This is Shaun White at 11 years old:

Evan Lysacek- Figure Skating
I hope all you men out there who are skeptics of men’s figure skating get a reality check with Lysacek’s performance, who defeated his Russian competitor and earned the spot of first American male to win the gold since 1988. Of course donning a spandex body suit, glitter, and (sometimes) fur will not earn you the manliest of men award, but being able to master these moves? Hands down, gold medalist. Now its your turn to try it.

Check out this video of Lysacek performing at the US championships and see how good he is foryourself:

Apolo Ohno- Speedskating
Apolo Anton Ohno won his 6th Olympic medal in the men’s 1,500 meter. As the reigning U.S. skating champion since his debut in 1999, Ohno did not disappoint, taking the silver medal, with South Korea’s Lee Jung-su ahead winning the gold medal. Ohno is now tied with long track speedskater Bonnie Blair for the most Olympic Medals won by an American, but I think he gets brownie points for competing and winning the reality show Dancing With the Stars in 2007.

Lindsey Vonn- Downhill Skiing
From NBC’s overblown coverage of her debilitating bruise, I was doubting her chances… but apparently it was not an issue. Lindsey Vonn emerged as the first American woman to take home the gold in the women’s downhill, beating her American rival Julia Manusco by a second.

Bode Miller- Super-G
Bode Miller took the silver home in the men’s Super-G, marking his fourth Olympic medal, and second at the Vancouver games. Despite some disappointments regarding his performance (in partying)  at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, Miller made his return and helped set the record for the U.S. Alpine Team at 6 Olympic medals in the 2010 games.

It blows my mind that these athletes train for half a lifetime to master their sport, and fame of their performance relies on the 30 second (in the case of Shaun White) to 6 minute (in figure skating) window that allows them to display their skills for all the world to see (pressure, anyone?). Well done, guys. You make us proud.