This is the greatest amount of athletes any nation has ever had on their winter roster.  242 U.S. athletes of all kinds of backgrounds and levels of experience are headed to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. We will be seeing new and old faces, all hoping to show off their hard work and hopefully return home with a few medals in their hands (or really, around their necks).

37 of these athletes are returning Olympians, including cross-country skier Kikkan Randall and snowboarder Shaun White. Both are in their early thirties and have been to the Games multiple times, having plenty of experience under their belts. Fans are very excited to see what they may accomplish next.

Along with the returners, we will also see plenty of new faces at the Games, ready to compete for the first time. One promising athlete is 18 year old figure skater Nathan Chen. He is changing the game with his daring, talent-packed program he has prepared, and many are looking forward to seeing it. Along with him is another young athlete, 17 year old snowboarder Chloe Kim. She is very excited to show how much she has prepared for the 2018 Olympics, having qualified but was too young to compete at Sochi 2014.

Team U.S.A. is also more diverse than it has ever been. There are many firsts for this year’s team, as more people of different backgrounds and ethnicities are representing our country. Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay male Olympic Athletes on the winter roster for America. Biney and Erin Jackson are the first African American female speed skaters for the team, and Jordan Greenway is the first African American hockey player representing U.S.A. This year will definitely very important for Team U.S.A., as it is the biggest, most diverse, and most “history-making” group of athletes they have ever sent to the Winter Games.