We’re still trying to get up to speed with Olympic Shaun White fever. Not feeling it just yet, but we’re sure by next week we’ll be deep in the Shaun White hype. In the meantime here is everything you need to know about Shaun White and the 2018 US Olympic Snowboard Team which you may not have realized includes Shaun White:
2018 OLYMPIC SNOWBOARD TEAM
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air
Chris Corning, Silverthorne, Colo. (9/07/1999)
Redmond Gerard, Silverthorne, Colo. (6/29/2000)
Kyle Mack, West Bloomfield, Mich. (7/06/1997)
Ryan Stassel, Anchorage, Alaska (10/23/1992) *
Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air
Jamie Anderson, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (9/13/1990) *
Jessika Jenson, Rigby, Idaho (8/07/1991)
Julia Marino, Westport, Conn. (9/11/1997)
Hailey Langland, San Clemente, Calif. (8/02/2000)
Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Ben Ferguson, Bend, Ore. (1/21/1995)
Chase Josey, Hailey, Idaho (3/31/1995)
Jake Pates, Eagle, Colo. (7/30/1998)
Shaun White, Carlsbad, Calif. (9/3/1986) *
Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, Vt. (7/26/1983) *
Arielle Gold, Steamboat Springs, Colo. (5/04/1996) *
Chloe Kim, Torrance, Calif. (4/23/2000)
Maddie Mastro, Wrightwood, Calif. (2/22/2000)
For all the other Shaun White details (including Snowboard Cross and Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Teams), please follow the Shaun White jump.
U.S. OLYMPIC SNOWBOARD TEAM ANNOUNCED
One of the most successful snowboard teams in the world will bring a star-studded lineup to PyeongChang. Following final selection events this past weekend, U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the selection of 26 athletes who will compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Included on the 2018 U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team is two-time gold medalist Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.), three-time Olympic medalist Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, Vt.), and Sochi gold medalist Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.). The selections will be confirmed by the United States Olympic Committee when it formally names Team USA this Friday (January 26).
Snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom athletes qualified from select World Cups this past season. Halfpipe and slopestyle athletes qualified through a process that included the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and the Dew Tour, with the team being recognized after last weekend’s finale with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Olympic Team Nomination Celebration presented by Visa.
The PyeongChang Opening Ceremony is set for February 9. The U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team will have its first competition on Monday, February 10 with men’s slopestyle qualifiers.
NBCUniversal will present more than 2,400 hours of coverage across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Sports app, the most ever for a Winter Olympics.
Team Facts
17-year-old Chloe Kim, who has Korean parentage, will be looking for her first Olympic gold medal. She is a three-time X Games gold medalist.
Shaun White will be returning to his fourth Olympic Games. He has gold medals from Torino 2006 and Vancouver 2010.
Jamie Anderson will be looking to defend her gold medal from Sochi 2014.
Kelly Clark will be looking for her second Olympic gold, and her fourth overall Olympic Medal. Clark will be attending her fifth Olympics.
New to the Olympics, with six combined X Games medals, Julia Marino and Hailey Langland will be looking for their first Olympic podiums.
17-year-old Red Gerard will be heading to his first Olympics as one of the youngest athletes in PyeongChang. The only younger athlete on the U.S. Snowboarding Team is Hailey Langland.
The most decorated snowboardcross athlete and snowboarder in history, Lindsey Jacobellis looks to add more Olympic medals to her collection, having won silver in 2006.
Nick Baumgartner has a podium from the Olympic test event in Korea and is a solid medal contender. He battled back from injury this season and made the big final in the last selection event, showing his speed is increasing as the Games approach.
Quotes
Mike Jankowski, Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
The 2018 U.S. Snowboarding Team is led by three of the best snowboarders of all time in Shaun White, Kelly Clark and Jamie Anderson. Add in some of the best young talent in the world with Chloe Kim, Red Gerard, Ben Ferguson, Chris Corning and Hailey Langland, and we have the best U.S. team we have ever had. They are all proud and ready to bring home some medals from Pyeongchang.
Peter Foley, Head Snowboardcross Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Cheever came out charging and really did himself a favor getting on the podium in the first selection event in Argentina to take a lot of the pressure off of himself for the season. Olympic selection for the men’s team has been brutal with six incredibly strong Americans battling for only four spots. It crushes me that we are not able to bring all six.
Nick Baumgartner has a podium from the Olympic test event in Korea and is such a solid medal contender. He battled back from injury this season and made the big final in the last selection event, showing his speed is increasing as we approach the games.
Lindsey Jacobellis has had an unbelievable career. She has won an Olympic medal but she hasn’t been as successful at the Olympics as she would like. So she is really excited to give it another shot. She’s riding amazing and it will be exciting to see her compete. Faye has really upped her level she is in incredible form and her results on the World Cup this season show that she is a contender for a medal in Korea.
Jeremy Forster, Director, U.S. Snowboard Team
It’s amazing that this is the 20th year since snowboarding was officially introduced into the Olympic program in Nagano, Japan. Regarding the team, it is clearly an incredible mix of talent both with Olympic experience and first time Olympians. 8 out of our 16 athletes of the halfpipe and slopestyle/big air team in snowboarding will be under age of 21. Also, 17 out of 26 Snowboard athletes are first time Olympians.
Shaun White
In the beginning journey to the Olympics, it was all we talked about. It’s hard not to put it out there like it’s already going to happen, but the reality is you have to earn your spot, learn your tricks. The fact that it came to fruition for me is an amazing feeling. I am beside myself – this is my fourth Olympics and it’s just unreal. To be an Olympian is awesome. In our sport of snowboarding, it’s really the only time you feel like you are part of a team and that’s a great feeling. I’m so excited to have another shot at the Olympic title. I would say qualifying for the Olympics is almost harder than competing at the Olympics. Especially when trying to make the U.S. Team, all our riders are so strong. I love that the U.S. waits until so close to the start of the Olympics to choose their team because it keeps you up to par and on your game. I feel so many people maybe take a breather once they make the team, but we have to fight it out in the U.S. and when you arrive at the Olympics you have been through the battle and are ready to perform.
Julia Marino
The qualifying process was super hectic and stressful sometimes, especially coming down to the last qualifier. But once I landed my run, I knew I was going to the Olympics. It was an insane feeling of excitement and relief knowing that all the training and competing of the past couple seasons was coming to this moment! It feels unreal to be representing my country. We have an amazing team and I’m really looking forward to the experience.
Jonathan Cheever
I’m not going to the Olympics just to be there. I was super pumped to make the team. However, it’s like time trials: one part of the process is done; the next one is still ahead of me. My family is beyond happy and so are my supporters. For me – I’ll process this whole thing after I grab some Olympic hardware.
AJ Muss
It’s an absolute honor to be named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team and something that I’ve dreamt about since I was a kid. It hasn’t been easy and it’s definitely a road less traveled. But my journey doesn’t end here, it continues. I’m not going to the Olympics to just go to the Olympics – I’m going to win medals!
Men’s Snowboardcross
Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, Mich. (12/17/1981) *
Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, Mass. (4/17/1985)
Mick Dierdorff, Steamboat Springs, Colo. (4/30/1991)
Hagan Kearney, Telluride, Colo. (11/06/1991)
Women’s Snowboardcross
Lindsey Jacobellis, Roxbury, Conn. (8/19/1985) *
Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, Utah (3/24/1992) *
Meghan Tierney, Edwards, Colo. (1/15/1997)
Rosie Mancari, Anchorage, Alaska (1/22/1994)
Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom
Aaron Muss, Rumson, N.J. (12/15/1994)
Michael Trapp, Hyannis, Mass. (7/10/1988)
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Staff
Jeremy Forster, Director, U.S. Snowboard Team
Abbi Nyberg, Sport Development Manager, U.S. Snowboard Team
Kelsey Sloan, Team Manager, U.S. Snowboard Team
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coaches
Mike Jankowski, Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Peter Foley, Snowboardcross Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Jeff Archibald, Snowboardcross Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Rick Bower, Pro Halfpipe Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Rick Shimpeno, Pro Halfpipe Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Mike Ramirez, Pro Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Dave Reynolds, Pro Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach, U.S. Snowboard Team
Justin Reiter, PGS coach – Mike Trapp
Richard Pick, PGS coach – AJ Muss
