United States

4 to Watch: U.S. Sensation Chloe Kim Debuts, Local Snowboard Star Vies for Gold & Team Figure Skating Highlight Day 2 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics

Day 2 in Pyeongchang featured the first Olympic look at U.S. halfpipe sensation Chloe Kim, plus local star Julia Marino went for gold and the team figure skating event wrapped up

ICE DHS in Puerto Rico

How to Watch the Events Live: Click the links in each subsection for the livestreams

From a historic triple axle landing in figure skating to the Olympic debut of 17-year-old snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim and Julia Marino's mission for the slopestyle podium, there was no shortage of must-see action on Day 2 of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. 

Without further ado, here are our four to Watch on Day 2:

775061188-0104
Getty Images
Mikaela Shiffrin in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Giant Slalom on Dec. 19, 2017 in Courchevel, France. Shiffrin, a winter Olympics contender from the United States, beat out France's Tessa Worley for the World Cup in giant slalom.

1. Chloe Kim Dominates, Leads Four Americans to Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Final

[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Model Olympian: Chloe Kim

The world had been waiting for its first Olympic glance at U.S. teen sensation Chloe Kim. And though the 17-year-old phenom only had a preliminary run on Sunday night, all eyes were watching as she took to the slopes for the women's halfpipe qualifying round. To no surprise, Kim, the heavy gold medal favorite in this event, was dominant. The Southern California native delivered scores of 91.50, and then — after tweeting about ice cream — 95.50 in her qualifying runs, making her the top qualifier by a wide margin. Plus she did it without even landing her biggest tricks.

Kim went up against a number of her USA counterparts, including Maddie Mastro, Kelly Clark and Arielle Gold. Clark, Gold and Mastro were able to advance to the final along with Kim. 

Must-See: Chloe Kim lands dominant second run in halfpipe qualifying

MORE: How Chloe Kim became one of the world's best snowboarders 

2. Team USA Wins Bronze in Team Figure Skating

[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Trick Or Treat! Team USA's Best Costumes

America’s attempt at a gold medal in the figure skating team event came up short as the team finished with the Bronze medal. The team’s chances took a hit when one of its stars, Nathan Chen, fell during his Olympic debut on Friday. Adam Rippon represented the U.S. in the men’s free skate, one of three programs in the Team Event. Rippon had a fluid and steady routine, but his score was hurt by not hitting a quad.

Canada took home the gold and the Olympic Athletes from Russia took home the silver.

Must-See: Mirai Nagasu Land 1st Triple Axel by US Woman at Olympics

MORE: Relive Adam Rippon's Incredible Team Event Free Skate

3. Local Snowboard Comes up Short in Slopestyle

10 Fast Facts About Star Snowboarder Julia Marino, a Local With an Eye for Gold

Julia Marino ascended rapidly up the ladder of slopestyle stars, and the 20-year-old from Connecticut looked to bring home a medal in her first ever Olympics. She was a favorite in slopestyle, but faced a huge challenge in Jamie Anderson, the South Lake Tahoe native who ultimately snatched gold in the competition on Monday. The win came four years after Anderson's slopestyle gold at her own Olympics debut in Sochi.

Marino finished in 11th place, behind Anderson and Americans Jessika Jenson and Hailey Langland. She's still a favorite in big air (that event comes later). 

Must-See: Julia Marino's big air skills

MORE: Jamie Anderson's golden slopestyle run in Sochi

[NATL] Eat Like an Olympian: Best Korean Dishes for Athletes and Fans

4. USA's Mikaela Shiffrin to Make Pyeongchang Debut in Giant Slalom (Postponed)

[NBCO-GalleryFeed] Mikaela Shiffrin's Childhood Photos

Mikaela Shiffrin's debut at the Pyeongchang Winter Games was cancelled about three hours before it was scheduled to begin Monday because of strong winds. It was the second Alpine skiing race called off at the Olympics. The giant slalom was rescheduled for Thursday morning (Wednesday night in the U.S.).

Shiffrin became a breakout American star at the Sochi Olympics, where she became the youngest-ever Olympic slalom champion at age 18. She’s looking to add a lot more hardware this time.

Now 22, Shiffrin has committed to skiing both the giant slalom and the slalom In Pyeongchang, and she might add the other three individual women’s races. Last year, Shiffrin became the first woman to win three consecutive slalom world titles in 78 years.

Up first for Shiffrin: The giant slalom. She’ll look to better her fifth-place finish in the event from the 2014 Olympics. She won a silver medal in the giant slalom in the 2017 World Championships.

Lindsey Vonn, another standout American skier, will not compete in the giant slalom.

How to Watch: The event scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to strong winds. The giant slalom event will now take place Wednesday night (New York time). 

Must-See: Get to know Mikaela Shiffrin off the slopes

Contact Us