And The U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team Is...
Competing on the U.S. snowboard team is a dream for every competitive female snowboarder. It's the ultimate honor to compete on the world stage, supported by your country. The level of competition and pressure is also insane. There's one more event that gives the women an opportunity to qualify for the Olympic team. X Games Aspen 2018 running January 25-28 may add more riders to the U.S. roster. Here are the women who made it out of the pressure cooker and already booked their ticket to Pyeongchang, South Korea in women's snowboarding events: Halfpipe, Snowboard Cross, and Slopestyle.
Chloe Kim // Halfpipe
The only reason Chloe Kim didn't compete in the Winter Olympics in 2014 was because she wasn't old enough. Only 14 at the time, Chloe took home the silver medal at the Winter X Games, an Olympic qualifying event, but wasn't able to join the team. Instead, she competed in the Youth Olympics and won a gold medal in both halfpipe and slopestyle.
Jamie Anderson // Slopestyle + Big Air
2014 Winter Olympics Slopestyle reigning women's champion Jamie Anderson will be back to defend her title. She's the only female who has won gold at the event since it was added to the Olympic Games in 2014. She's also won silver at the Winter X Games Aspen for the past four years, consecutively.
Faye Gulini // Snowboard Cross
This will be Faye's third Olympic appearance in snowboard cross. Originally from Jacksonville, Wyoming, Faye moved to Vail, Colorado to officially kick off her snowboarding career. In 2014, Faye took fourth in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Since then she's been around the world and will be heading to the Olympics again in 2018.
Lindsey Jacobellis // Snowboard Cross
When women's snowboard cross was added to the Olympic Games in 2006, Lindsey Jacobellis made history as the first woman to win silver in the event. 2018 will mark her fourth Winter Olympic Games appearance. She's already been able to travel to South Korea for the test event. She said, “It was a big X Games style course – a lot of drafting, a lot of speed, and a lot of time to capitalize on riders making mistakes and passing, so I think that will definitely play to my strengths.”
Kelly Clark // Halfpipe
Although Kelly Clark didn't claim her spot on the US Snowboard Team until the final event at the Mammoth Mountain Grand Prix, we knew it would happen. This will be Kelly's fifth Winter Olympics during her impressive snowboarding career. She won a gold medal in the Halfpipe event in the 2002 Winter Olympics, and holds two bronze medals from 2010 and 2014. Keep your eyes on Kelly!
Maddie Mastro // Halfpipe
Maddie Mastro is another rider who secured her invite to the Winter Olympics at the Mammoth Grand Prix 2018. Hailing from Southern California, Maddie is 17 years old, and this will be her first Olympic appearance. The 2016-2017 season was huge for Maddie, as she quickly broke down the door of amateur competition into her professional career.
Julia Marino // Slopestyle + Big Air
Photo: @_Juliamarino Instagram
20-year-old Julia Marino will be competing in both the Slopestyle and Big Air events. She already has an X Games gold medal for Slopestyle and consistently makes her way to the podium in both of her disciplines. We'll be cheering for Julia in the Winter Games!
Hailey Langland // Slopestyle + Big Air
Photo: Instagram @haileylangland
Californian Hailey Langland joined the U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team when she landed a spot on the podium at the Mammoth Grand Prix on January 20, 2018. Another 17-year-old making her first Olympic appearance, Hailey has a good shot at taking home a medal if she can handle the pressure at the Slopestyle event.
