The anticipation for Team USA鈥檚 performance reached epic levels this year, buoyed by some historic events, matchups, and promises: Mikaela and Lindsey battling it out; the last Olympics for Lindsey, Ted, Shaun, and other legends; promising talent that could finally win us gold in our underdog sports (ahem, biathlon and cross-country skiing).聽Yet when the country failed to nab enough gold, many patriotic haters (ignore them!) expressed frustration at America鈥檚 lackluster performance. 聽聽
But that attitude fails to summon proper Olympic pride for the true heroes of the Games: the U.S. women.聽
This isn鈥檛 just a girl-power pitch, although fantastic women athletes have been underappreciated for too long. This is a reminder of cold, hard numbers. Women and women鈥檚 teams won 12 of the U.S.鈥檚 21 medals (that鈥檚 not counting the two mixed-sex teams that won us ice-dancing medals) and five out of eight gold. The math says more than half of our medals came from Team USA鈥檚 women, who only make up聽 of that group. Talk about disproportionately pulling your weight.
Here鈥檚 another thing only the women can lay claim to: we ended three medal droughts. Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins won gold in women鈥檚 cross country skiing;聽 the women鈥檚 long-track speed skating team won bronze; and our women鈥檚 hockey team finally beat Canada in their most treasured sport. (Suck an egg, Canada!)
But it鈥檚 not just about the victories鈥攊t鈥檚 about the Olympic spirit, which America鈥檚 women also owned this year. They wowed spectators with athletic feats while charming them with good humor and clear grit. Even casual spectators know just how unprecedented both Shiffrin and Vonn鈥檚 domination is. Both also showed toughness in the face of high-pressure personal moments, with Shiffrin fighting through pre-race barfs onto the podium and Vonn making a tearful but graceful last Olympic run (and winning bronze, thank you very much).聽Jamie Anderson won gold and silver in snowboarding while having the sunniest (and most lingo-riddled) manner we鈥檝e ever seen, and Chloe Kim continues to inspire a new generation while making gold-medal runs look easy with . After beating Scandinavians at one of the most grueling winter sports in the world, Randall and Diggins even performed a and won our hearts all over again.
It鈥檚 not that our men weren鈥檛 great too. They were. But our women were unforgettable.