Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

BEIJING – The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 came to a close on Sunday after 17 days of competition, featuring 2,900 athletes from 91 nations. The 225 Team USA athletes delivered breakout performances and collectively earned 25 total medals (8 gold, 10 silver, 7 bronze).

The U.S. finished fourth on the medal table – besting its 2018 total medal count. Fifty-seven American athletes contributed to the medal total in Beijing with 34 athletes making it to the podium for the first time. In addition to medal accomplishments, Team USA showcased resilience and sportsmanship on the field of play throughout the Games.

"From excitement to disappointment to inspiration; the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games presented Team USA with a rollercoaster of emotion," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. "Through it all, our athletes showed up strong, tackled incredible obstacles and delivered world-class performances. I'm filled with tremendous gratitude and pride as we turn our full attention to the Paralympic Games.”

The women of Team USA continued their successful Games streak, winning 13 (4 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) of the 25 total medals. Julia Marino earned Team USA’s first medal in Beijing, winning the silver in snowboard slopestyle on Feb. 6, and Jessie Diggins closed out the medal count for Team USA earlier today by winning silver in the cross-country skiing women’s 30-kilometer mass start free – and becoming the first American woman to medal in an Olympic long-distance cross-country race.

History was made when speedskater Erin Jackson won in the women’s 500-meter and became the first Black woman ever to win a gold medal in an individual event in the Winter Games. “Hopefully it has an effect,” said Jackson when asked about her ground-breaking accomplishment. “I would love to see more minorities, especially in the U.S., getting out and trying winter sports and see me as an example of what’s possible.”

Bobsledder and trailblazer Elana Meyers Taylor raced to silver and bronze in women’s monobob and the two-woman event to become the most decorated Black athlete at a Winter Games with a combined five medals. She was also elected the Opening and Closing Ceremony flagbearer, an honor only bestowed once before on a member of Team USA.

From these Games’ historic firsts to the culmination of one of snowboard’s most iconic figures, five-time Olympian Shaun White finished fourth in his last competitive snowboard halfpipe contest, capping off a remarkable career that includes three gold medals (2006, 2010, 2018) and never finishing lower than fourth place.

Further proving that age is just a number, Nick Baumgartner is the oldest snowboarder to win a medal at an Olympic Winter Games (40 years, 57 days) with a win in the mixed team snowboardcross event. His teammate, Lindsey Jacobellis (36 years, 177 days) became the oldest woman and second oldest Olympic snowboard medalist with wins in the mixed team and women’s snowboardcross events.

“Watching Team USA athletes step onto the ice and snow at the Olympic Games after years of training and dedication to their sport, and in an unprecedented environment, was absolutely awe-inspiring,” said Rick Adams, USOPC chief of sport performance and 2022 Chef de Mission. “Team USA athletes represented themselves, their sport, their community, and our country with skill and pride. Serving as the Chef de Mission for this team has been a great honor for me and, in addition to the wonderful athletes, I am thankful to the national governing bodies, and the USOPC staff for making these 2022 Games a great success.”

Beyond performance, the Beijing Games featured an additional statistic with COVID-19 test results. The implementation of strong COVID-19 countermeasures, thorough pre-departure testing and daily testing in Beijing, the health of Team USA remained central to the success of the Games. Since the first Team USA delegates arrived in Beijing on Jan. 15, there were approximately 19,000 COVID-19 tests performed. Throughout the course of the Games, only three Team USA athletes tested positive for COVID-19, an impressive feat amidst a worldwide surge in the pandemic.

"We are so proud of what Team USA has accomplished, on and off the field of play," said Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, USOPC chief medical officer. "Coming into these Games, we had a significant hill to climb as we faced a dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections. The preparation and execution of COVID-19 mitigation practices, along with the commitment by the organizing committee to execute a true closed loop environment, contributed to the health and safety of our athletes."

Please see below for additional highlights from Team USA:

• For the third straight Olympic Winter Games, Team USA claimed the top-two spots in a freestyle skiing event as Alex Hall and Nick Goepper secured the gold-silver sweep in slopestyle, and David Wise and Alex Ferreira took silver and bronze in halfpipe. Wise has earned a spot on every ski halfpipe podium since the discipline made its Olympic debut in 2014.
• Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor became the first Olympic medalists in monobob, taking gold and silver in the event's Olympic debut.
• Megan Nick became the first American woman to earn an individual medal in freestyle aerials since 1998, taking bronze.
• Kelly Curtis became the first Black athlete to compete in skeleton for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games.
• At age 19, Drew Commesso became the youngest U.S. goalie to play in Olympic competition, posting an 8-0 shutout in the men's opener over China.
• The U.S. trio of Ashley Caldwell, Chris Lillis and Justin Schoenefeld won mixed team aerials in the event’s Olympic debut – Team USA’s first gold in freestyle aerials since 1998.
• Chloe Kim became the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic snowboard halfpipe.
• Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first publicly out non-binary athlete to compete in the Games.
• In the Olympic debut of freestyle skiing big air, Colby Stevenson became the first American to win an Olympic medal in the event, taking silver.
• Nathan Chen set a world record score of 113.97 in the men's short program, en route to becoming only the seventh American, and first since 2010, to win the men's figure skating title.
• Deedra Irwin earned the best individual finish ever by a U.S. biathlete at the Olympic Winter Games, placing seventh in the women's 15-kilometer.
• Abby Roque became the first Indigenous woman to play Olympic hockey for the United States.
• Andrew Blaser became the first publicly out gay man to compete in skeleton at the Olympic Games.
• Scott Patterson recorded the highest finish in nearly 50 years for a U.S man in cross-country.
• Six Team USA athletes earned multiple medals at the Beijing Games: Lindsey Jacobellis, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Madison Hubbell, Elana Meyers Taylor, Jessie Diggins.