Olympics Top Ten List (2 of 10): The Americans

Here are a list of ten American athletes competing at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia; some have already competed and some have not.

For a list of ten more Americans at the Olympics, go to our sister blog: http://www.politicscultureandotherwastesoft.blogspot.com


1) Erin Hamlin (pictured top) Luge. Age 27. New Hartford, NY

2) Gus Kenworthy (pictured center). Free-style skiing. Telluride, Colo.

3) Heather Lynn Richardson (pictured bottom). Speed-skating. Age 24. High Point, NC.

4) Andy Newell. Cross-country skiing. Weston, Vermont.

5) Gracie Gold. Figure Skating. Age 18. Newton, Mass.

6) Justin Olsen. Bob-sledding. Age 26. San Antonio, Tex.

7) Lanny Barnes. Women's Biathlon. Age 31. Durango, Colo.

8) Jeremy Abbott. Figure Skating. Age 28. Aspen, Colo.

9) Mikaela Siffrin. Women's Alpine Skiing. Age 18. East Burke, Vermont.

10) Aaron Blunck. Free-style skiing. Age 17. Crested Butte, Colo.

http://www.teamusa.org/

http://www.nbcolympics.com/

http://erinhamlin.com/

http://usspeedskating.org/

UPDATE 02/11/14: Kudos to Erin Hamlin; she won bronze in women's luge and she is the first American to ever medal in the Olympics at the sport. Hamlin can also been in the United Airlines tv spot that is running during the games.

Olympic Athlete Profile- Erin Hamlin/Women's Luge/USA

According to the Twitter page for American women's luger Erin Hamlin's hometown newspaper "The Observer-Dispatch" (Utica, NY), the medal favorite will be coming home as a hero in spite of her disappointing 16th place finish at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver:

"The only one disappointed with Olympics luger Erin Hamlin is probably Erin Hamlin. In the hearts and minds of everyone else in central New York, she's nothing short of awesome."

Hamlin, 23, was unable to get off to a good start at the outset of her run according to "USA Today."

The tragic death of Georgian men's luger Nadar Kumaritashvili on the first day of the Olympics lead officials to make dramatic changes to the luge track which caused distractions for Hamlin and other lugers.

Hamlin told "USA Today" that it was just an ordeal which had to come to terms with:

"I'm not going to argue with the fact that it was done," Hamlin said. "But, that doesn't make it easier to swallow."

Julia Clukey, Hamlin's teammate who finished just behind her in 17th place said that Olympic officials should have consulted with the lugers before the changes were made.

The race was won by German luger Tatjana Huefner. Austrian luger Nina Reithmayer got silver while another German Natalie Geisenberger took the bronze medal.

Hamlin told "USA Today" that she will be back to compete in the 2014 Olympics:

"I was planning on it before," Hamlin said. "And, now I'm sure I'm going to be back in four years."

Hamlin was profiled in "The Observer-Dispatch" in March of 2009 shortly after she had become the first American woman to win an international luge championship near Lake Placid, NY.

In the piece, her older brother Ryan Hamlin said that both siblings explored luge on a whim when they were children:

"I think it was the fact that we wanted to try something different," said Ryan Hamlin "We all have a competitive edge. I don't think being sedentary is wired into us."