Games Faces

As the 23rd Winter Olympics gets underway in PyeongChang, South Korea, the largest contingent of athletes — 242 strong — hails from the U.S. At the Sochi Games four years ago, the Americans finished second in total medal count to Russia.

Four years later, with Russia sidelined by doping allegations, a handful of perennial cold-weather-sport powerhouses — among them Norway, Germany and Canada — will vie with the U.S. for the top medal count.

America’s road to medal count victory will likely be paved by American women, including Alpine skiing star Mikaela Schiffrin, a deep line-up of female snowboarders and freestyle skiers and the always-strong women’s hockey team. On the men’s side, figure skater Nathan Chen is a favorite, and the guys from the ski and snowboard teams are poised to get on the podium.

Before the Games begin, get to know 28 members of Team USA’s Winter Olympics squad. You’ll be seeing them on TV very soon.

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Chris Mazdzer,Luge, Saranac Lake, N.Y., third Olympics

Lowell Bailey,Biathlon, Lake Placid, N.Y., fourth Olympics

Karen Chen,Figure Skating, Fremont, Calif., first Olympics

Susan Dunklee,Biathlon, Barton, Vt., second Olympics

Red Gerard,Snowboarding, Silverthorne, Colo., first Olympics

Troy Terry,Ice Hockey, Highlands Ranch, Colo., first Olympics

Sarah Hendrickson,Ski Jumping, Park City, Utah, second Olympics

Kikkan Randall,Cross-Country Skiing, Anchorage, fifth Olympics

John Daly, Skeleton, Smithtown, N.Y., third Olympics

Hagen Kearney, Snowboarding, Norwood, Colo., first Olympics

Mikaela Shiffrin,Alpine Skiing, Vail, Colo., second Olympics

Hilary Knight,Ice Hockey, Sun Valley, Idaho, third Olympics

Matt Hamilton,Curling, McFarland, Wis., first Olympics

Gus Kenworthy,Freestyle Skiing, Telluride, Colo., second Olympics

Erin Hamlin,Luge, Remsen, N.Y., fourth Olympics

Chloe Kim,Snowboarding, Torrance, Calif., first Olympics

Brittany Bowe, Speedskating, Ocala, Fla., second Olympics

Alex andMaia Shibutani,Figure Skating, Ann Arbor, Mich., second Olympics

Ted Ligety,Alpine Skiing, Park City, Utah, fourth Olympics

Jessie Diggins,Cross-Country Skiing, Afton, Minn., second Olympics

Nathan Chen,Ice Skating, Salt Lake City, first Olympics

Matt Antoine,Skeleton, Prairie du Chien, Wis., second Olympics

Jamie Anderson,Snowboarding, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., second Olympics

Elana Meyers Taylor,Bobsled, Douglasville, Ga., third Olympics

David Wise,Freestyle Skiing, Reno, second Olympics

Joey Mantia,Speedskating, Ocala, Fla., second Olympics

Maddie Bowman, Freestyle Skiing, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., second Olympics

Kelly Clark, Snowboarding, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., fifth Olympics