Team USA superstar Chloe Kim has won her first Olympic gold, and now, from Shaun White's Pyeongchang debut, New York's luge hero and the history-making 17-year-old Maame Biney's short track speed skate, there should be no shortage of must-see action on the rest of Day 3 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Without further ado, here are our four to Watch on Day 3 (covering the action late Monday night through early Tuesday on the East Coast):
1. The World Is Watching Chloe Kim; Shaun White Qualifies for Halfpipe Finals With Near-Perfect Score
[NATL-NBCO-GalleryFeed] Chloe Kim's Adorable Childhood Photos
It's a huge night on the slopes, with some of the biggest U.S. names in Pyeongchang featured in marquee Olympic events. Chloe Kim, the 17-year-old snowboard sensation from California, has won gold in her first Olympic games, while fellow American Arielle Gold won bronze. China's Jiayu Liu of China took silver. Full results here.
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[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Model Olympian: Shaun White
Later, Shaun White delivered a near-perfect halfpipe performance in the men’s halfpipe qualifying, setting the stage for a triumphant Olympic comeback in the finals on Tuesday night. After falling behind Australia’s Scotty James and Japan’s Ayumu Hirano in the first qualifying run, the two-time gold medalist scored a 98.5 in the second round to clinch the top spot. White was one of four Americans to qualify for the final, joining Ben Ferguson, Chase Josey and Jake Pates.
Two-time Olympic champ Ted Ligety looked to prove his versatility in the men's Alpine combined, an event he won in Torino in 2006. However, he was unable to crack the top 3 for a place on the podium. He was the top American, but ended in fifth. Austrian Marcel Hirscher took home the gold, and will never again be called the "greatest Alpine skier without an Olympic gold medal.”
Must-See: Chloe Kim's spectacular first run at halfpipe final
Chloe Kim nails signature back-to-back 1080s in thrilling final run
Shaun White goes huge in snowboard halfpipe qualifying
MORE: Chloe Kim tweets during halfpipe finals; Flashback: Watch Shaun White's golden halfpipe run in Torino; Ted Ligety talks "choke" performance in Sochi; Marcel Hirscher won the first Alpine skiing medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics; Shaun White coy on what to expect in finals
2. Speedskater Maame Biney Doesn’t Make 500-Meter Semifinals
[NATL-DC]Welcome to Pyeongchang: A Look Inside the 2018 Olympic Host City
Maame Biney, the first black woman to qualify for a U.S. Olympic speedskating team, didn’t progress out of the quarterfinals in the 500-meter short track event. After an uncharacteristically slow start, the 18-year-old came last in her heat, where only the first two of the four skaters move on to the semifinals. But she faced stiff competition — China’s Fan Kexin, who has six world medals in the 500 meter and has been seen as a contender for gold, only managed second place.
Biney was the only American in contention for the 500 meter, but it won’t be her last event in Pyeongchang. She qualified for the 1,500 meter, which begins Saturday at 5 a.m. ET.
Must-See: Maame Biney dances her way onto the U.S. Olympic team
MORE: Maame Biney eliminated in 500m quarterfinal; Emotional Maame Biney talks competing for dad
3. New Yorker Erin Hamlin Falls Short of Luge Gold
10 Fast Facts About Erin Hamlin, a New York Homer and Legend of the Luge
The New York luge star who earned the honor of bearing the flag for Team USA at the opening ceremony fell short of her quest for gold in what is thought to be her fourth and final Olympics, coming in sixth early Tuesday after placing sixth, fifth, fifth and eighth, respectively, in each of the four luge runs.
One of luge's best known female athletes, Hamlin became the first from the United States to win an Olympic singles luge medal in the 50 years since the sport first appeared in the Games. She was born in New Hartford, New York, and her family now lives in Remsen, where she often trains when home in a barn on the 75-acre property. Pyeongchang is Hamlin's fourth Olympics. She earned bronze in Sochi in 2014, but did not make the podium in 2006 or 2010.
Must-See: Erin Hamlin's childhood photos
4. Team USA Decimates Athletes From Russia in Women's Ice Hockey
[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Model Olympians: U.S. Women's Hockey Team
Team USA destroyed the Olympic Athletes from Russia 5-0 as preliminary round play continued early Tuesday on the East Coast. Team USA's Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson found the back of the net twice in six seconds to set the record for shortest time between goals scored by any player in Olympic history.
Led by Meghan Duggan, Kacey Bellamy, Hilary Knight and the Lamoureux-Morando twins, all appearing in their fifth straight Olympics, the U.S. squad, which won its opener against Finland, looks to improve upon silver-medal finishes to Canada at the last two Games. The women's team has made the podium in every Olympics since it earned the very first women's ice hockey Olympic gold in 1998, but that competition was the only time they won it all.
Highlights: Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson sets record with two goals in six seconds
Must-See: Hilary Knight on Pyeongchang -- 'We Really Need a Gold Medal'
