This has been the first year I have really sat down and have gotten to watch The Winter Olympics. So far, my only feeling towards it is absolute amazement. There are a few Olympians who have really stood out during this olympic rotation, and this article will take a look these jaw- dropping athletes.

Let’s start with medal count. Norway is in the lead with most medals overall (thirty-nine), with thirteen gold, twelve silver, and ten bronze. Next up is Germany, with thirty-one medals overall, thirteen gold, seven silver, and five bronze. Right behind Germany comes Canada with twenty-nine medals overall, nine gold, seven silver and eight bronze. What do you guys think the verdict will come to? Will Norway choke and lose their significant lead, or will Canada have a good day and take the number two spot?

To highlight a few favorites, Austria’s contender, Anna Gasser, captured the gold in women’s snowboarding (Big Air) while the USA’s Jamie Anderson snatched silver. In Figure Skating (Ice Dance), Canadian favorites, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir received the gold medal in this event. This most recent gold has earned them the title of most decorated Olympic figure skaters in history. After watching these two perform together, I understand how they have made this significant feat. While they are performing, you can see the chemistry those two have; they have been skating together for TWENTY years, ever since they were kids. Moir hints at retirement when he mentions that “If it is the end we are extremely pleased with that. We’ll probably make an announcement in the coming days, but for us we just want to enjoy this right now and let the dust kind of settle and figure out what’s next.” Lastly, women’s hockey had a very exciting US vs. Canada game. It was 2-2 and went into overtime. In the end, The United States defeated Canada in a thrilling shootout. This is the first time The United States has won a gold medal in hockey since 1998.

We live in a world where countries are constantly at odds or fighting with each other. The Olympics are an event that can really just bring everyone together. After events, it’s amazing to see the character and sportsmanship brought out by these athletes. When Mikaela Shiffrin (22) beat Lindsey Vonn (33) to the title of the world’s best woman skier, Vonn greeted Shiffrin with a hug and a congratulations. While this just seems like the decent thing to do, with all the negativity in the world it is the simple things that matter. One day, hopefully, the world will band together just as it does every Olympic rotation.

The years of Olympic rotation are a fun time for everyone. It’s exciting to see new sports (like bobsled and curling) and enjoy watching the games with your family.