Winter Olympics are well under way

By Uriel Ortega |Staff Writer|

The U.S. strikes gold first at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and 12 total medals through in the seventh of the winter games.

U.S. team nabs first gold as both men and women sweep the gold for slope style snowboarding at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

The United States claimed the first gold in the slope style with a big board and big tricks by Sage Kotsenburg, who won the game’s first gold medal.

Kotsenburg, from Park City Utah, said that witnessing the American team sweep the men’s half pipe podium at his hometown Olympics in 2002, was a defining moment for him.

“I have no idea what’s actually going on, this is the craziest thing that ever happened,” said Kotsenburg.

Kotsenburg was “stoked” which has become his trend word when asked how he felt.

Jamie Anderson, the 23-year-old from South Lake Tahoe, CA, also took gold in slope style snowboarding giving the Americans the sweep in the competition.

It came down to one last trip through the treacherous Rosa Khutor Extreme Park course as Anderson showcased the skills and greatness needed for her to take the pondium for an olympic gold medal.

“I was really just trying to stay calm and kind of reserve my energy,” Anderson said. “It was a lot of stress up there and even though it’s just another competition, the stage and the outreach that this event connects to is out of control.”

“Jamie’s an awesome competitor,” said American teammate Karly Shorr.

“She does whatever she has to win. She never cracks under pressure. She uses it. She lands” continued Shorr.

Slope style skiing team sweeps the podium with teammates Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper each taking gold, silver and bronze in the winter games the men’s respectively in the freestyle event.

Christensen’s claim to gold was an emotional one in honor of his father last Thursday. Christensen’s father was fighting a congenital heart condition and after his passing, this gave Joss the encouragement to push forward and compete harder in pursuit of that dream which his father always supported.

One supervising event was when Shaun White was unable to win his third consecutive gold medal or a medal at all, placing fourth.

White really showed what being a professional athlete is all about and that the Olympics were also about the fans.

With the winter games half way through, Americans are watching with anticipation the remaining competitions for men’s and women’s results in speed skating and hockey match ups.

The 2013 Winter Olympics will have its closing ceremony on Feb. 23 to wrap up the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi.