49Sarah Nurse
HOCKEY, CANADA
Growing up in
hockey-mad Ontario,
Sarah Nurse made
gold medals out of
construction paper.
In 2018, Nurse fell
just short of the real
kind when Canada—
the reigning fi ve-time
Olympic champ—
lost the gold-medal
game to the U.S. in
a 3-2 shoot-out. A
championship rematch
in Beijing wouldn’t be
surprising.
Nurse, a biracial
woman competing
in a majority- white
sport, will be playing
for something more
than her fi rst Olympic
gold. “Black Lives
are more important
than sports. PERIOD,”
Nurse, 27, wrote on
Twitter in August 2020,
as North America
reckoned with its
history of racial
injustice. “I’m going
to need hockey,
especially, to
understand that.”
A week later, Nurse
was appointed to
the board of the
Professional Women’s
Hockey Players
Association; she counts
increasing diversity
in the sport as one
of her goals.
—S.G.Nathan Chen
FIGURE SKATING, U.S.
A world champion and
gold-medal favorite
heading into the 2018
PyeongChang Games,
Nathan Chen made
uncharacteristic mis-
takes in two programs
and fi nished just off
the Olympic podium.
He has had four years He has had four years He has had four years ashadfouryears
to ready himself for to ready himself for imselffor
redredemption.
ForFor Beijing, the B
22-year-old22-year-old Yale
UniversityUniversity student is stud
revivingreviving two programs twoprog
that earned him the
highest scores of his
career. He will need to
nail them. The competi-
tion in Beijing is fi erce:
U.S. teammate Vincent
Zhou, who beat Chen
earlier this season, and
a squad of Japanese
skaters, including
reigning Olympic gold
medalist Yuzuru Hanyu,
are all strong contend-
ers for the podium.
But Chen has
proved that he can rise
above the competition;
after those disastrous
skates in 2018, he
pulled off the highest-
scoring free program
of PyeongChang,
complete with six
quadruple jumps, that
propelled him from
17th to fi fth in the
fi nal standings. Don’t
ever count Chen out.
—A.P.Mikaela
Shiff rinALPINE SKIING, U.S.On Jan. 11, after U.S.
skier Mikaela Shiffrin skier Mikaela Shiffrin
won her 47th career won her 47th career
World Cup slalom World Cup slalom
race at a night event race at a night event
in Austria—breaking in Austria—breaking
the record for most the record for most
wins in a single ski wins in a single ski
discipline—she let discipline—she let
her emotions go. “I’m her emotions go. “I’m
just crying a lot lately,” just crying a lot lately,”
Shiffrin said. Shiffrin said.
According to Shif-According to Shif-
frin’s head coach, frin’s head coach,
Mike Day, those were Mike Day, those were
“tears of everything.” “tears of everything.” “tears of everything.”
There was joy: Shif-There was joy: Shif-
frin, a three-time frin, a three-time
Olympic medalist who Olympic medalist who
will make her third will make her third
Olympic appearance Olympic appearance
in Beijing, came in Beijing, came
back from fi fth place back from fi fth place
to best rival Petra to best rival Petra
Vlhova and leave little Vlhova and leave little
doubt that she’s the doubt that she’s the
greatest slalom skier greatest slalom skier
of all time. There was of all time. There was
relief: Shiffrin tested relief: Shiffrin tested
positive for COVID-19 positive for COVID-19
in late December, in late December,
grounding her in grounding her in
Europe for around 10 Europe for around 10days. And there was days. And there was
sadness because Jeff sadness because Jeff
Shiffrin—her father, Shiffrin—her father,
mentor and biggest mentor and biggest
champion—wasn’t champion—wasn’t
there to witness there to witness
the historic win. In the historic win. In
February 2020, Jeff February 2020, Jeff
died unexpectedly died unexpectedly
of a head injury after of a head injury after
an accident in his an accident in his
Colorado home. Colorado home.
“Dad would have “Dad would have
been really, really been really, really
proud,” says Shiffrin’s proud,” says Shiffrin’s
older brother, Taylor, older brother, Taylor,
of his sister’s record-of his sister’s record-
breaking win. breaking win.
Shiffrin considered Shiffrin considered
retiring after her retiring after her
father’s death. “There father’s death. “There
were a lot of moments were a lot of moments
where I wondered if where I wondered if
she was going to be she was going to be
able to get back to a able to get back to a
point where she could point where she could
enjoy what she was enjoy what she was
doing and be success-doing and be success-
ful at it,” says Day. ful at it,” says Day.
Shiffrin seems to Shiffrin seems to
have found her groove have found her groove
again, and she’ll aim again, and she’ll aim
to keep it going in Bei-to keep it going in Bei-
jing, where she could jing, where she could
race in all fi ve alpine race in all fi ve alpine
events: her technical events: her technical
specialties (slalom specialties (slalom
and giant slalom), the and giant slalom), the
speed races (downhill speed races (downhilland super-G) plus and super-G) plus
the combined (one the combined (one
run of slalom, one run of slalom, one
downhill). Janica downhill). Janica
Kostelic of Croatia Kostelic of Croatia
holds the record for holds the record for
Olympic alpine golds, Olympic alpine golds,
with four; Shiffrin with four; Shiffrin
has two, and no U.S. has two, and no U.S.
alpine skier—male alpine skier—male
or female—has or female—has
won more. won more.
Records are Records are
great, of course. But great, of course. But
through the tragedy, through the tragedy,
the Shiffrins have the Shiffrins have
gained perspective gained perspective
about the important about the important
things beyond the things beyond the
podium. “Having the podium. “Having the
outcome that you outcome that you
want from an Olympic want from an Olympic
race, or not having the race, or not having the
outcome, really does outcome, really does
pale in comparison pale in comparison
to some of the pains to some of the pains
and experiences that and experiences that
we’ve had,” says we’ve had,” says
Taylor. His message Taylor. His message
for his sister? “Ski for his sister? “Ski
fast, have fun, stay fast, have fun, stay
grounded,” he says. grounded,” he says.
“We’re still gonna “We’re still gonna
have many years of have many years of
fun and enjoyment fun and enjoyment
after these Olympics, after these Olympics,
and that’s something and that’s something
to look forward to, no to look forward to, no
matter what.” —matter what.” —SS..GG..Sarah Nurse
NNathan Chen athan Chen
MMikaela ikaela
Shiff rin Shiff rin