With professional sports so constantly intertwined with huge money and scandal, it’s refreshing to see athletes competing for glory and country instead of a paycheck.
It offers an opportunity for unknown athletes, who spend countless hours honing their craft, to captivate their homeland on the world’s biggest stage. Now that the Sochi games are more than a week old, it’s a perfect time to highlight some of the outstanding achievements and biting disappointments we’ve seen thus far.
Triumphs
1. USA Men’s Hockey — The Americans swept their three preliminary games, highlighted by their thrilling win against the host Russians on Saturday. It didn’t have the social significance of the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid, but the game was an instant classic nonetheless.
For people who didn’t wake up for it, with the contest tied 2-2 in the third period, the Russians scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal. However, the referees disallowed the goal after instant replay revealed the net had been dislodged before the score.
Regulation was exciting, but the game will be remembered for the epic shootout that concluded it, as T.J. Oshie single-handedly outscored the Russians by converting on 4-of-6 chances in the shootout.
For reference, picture Rocky Balboa knocking out Ivan Drago, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon or the tearing down of the Berlin Wall – only on ice.
By doing so, Oshie vaulted himself from relative anonymity to national stardom. The Americans earned a bye into the quarterfinals, which sets up a potential semi-finals showdown with Canada.
2. Erin Hamlin — By capturing bronze in Tuesday’s women’s single luge final, Erin Hamlin became the first American to ever medal in the luge.
Luge, for those who don’t know, entails sliding at around 80 mph feet first on a metal sled that’s roughly the size of a large pizza box.
To do something no American has ever done is commendable, and to do so in a sport where serious injury or death is a real possibility makes it all the more impressive.
3. Bode Miller — Miller, five-time Olympic medalist, went to Sochi less than a year after the death of his younger brother Chelone, a snowboarder who was competing to join Bode on the U.S. squad.
And tragedy or not, at 36, most believed the former hard-partying Miller was on the downslope of his career anyway. In his prime, Miller basically won and partied like the Johnny Football of downhill skiing.
America loves a good comeback story.
Following the death of his brother, Miller reportedly quit drinking to rededicate himself to skiing. His comeback culminated with his sixth Olympic medal when he took bronze in the super-G Saturday.
Seeing an emotional Miller after the race was heartwarming before NBC took it too far, but that’s not the point here. Just YouTube it and take notes on how not to interview someone about a personal tragedy.
Failures
1. USA curling — Besides hockey, there’s no event I look forward to in the Winter Olympics more than curling. I only loosely understand the rules of the game, but that does nothing but add to the sport’s mystique.
After spending many days and nights watching live-streams of American curling, I’m now qualified to offer the following scouting report — we are awful.
The American men’s and women’s curling teams have a combined record of 3-15. This may be the greatest embarrassment we’ve ever faced as a nation, and I’m starting to think our days as a world super-power may be numbered.
2. Shaun White — After withdrawing from other events in order to concentrate on winning his third consecutive gold in the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe, White will go home without a medal after falling during his run en route to a fourth place finish on Tuesday.
I blame White’s decision to get a haircut. An extreme-sports athlete without wild, flowing hair isn’t much of an extreme-sports athlete at all.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y.