Olympics 2010: Top 5 Athletes to Watch!

By Sara C

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver begin today, and athletes from around the globe are prepping for their fifteen minutes of fame. If you’re like me and will probably find yourself at an Olympics party this evening, check out this list of athletes who are sure to find their names in the headlines (or faces on a Wheaties box) in the near future.

Don’t know who to root for in speed skating? Not sure if you want to bet your roommate that Canada will win more golds than ever this Olympiad? You can find the answers to these questions (and trivia to impress all your friends) right here.

1. Mirai Nagasu

Sport: Ladies’ figure skating
Nation: USA
Age: 16
Can she win? Perhaps she’ll medal.
What makes her someone to watch: There’s no pressure on her. The favorite to take the gold in this event is reigning world champ Kim Yu-Na from South Korea, and Nagasu placed second behind Rachael Flatt in the 2010 US National Championships. Much of the media focus will zero in on Flatt and Kim, leaving the door wide open for Nagasu (whose long program at Nationals was exuberant and graceful) to steal the show. Skeptical? Consider that all of the past four Olympic figure skating champions were not the favorite: Oksana Baiul, Tara Lipinski, Sarah Hughes, and Shizuka Arakawa.

Follow her: on Twitter @mirai_nagasu.

2. Melissa Hollingsworth

Sport: Skeleton (think luge, but face down and head first!)
Nation: Canada
Age: 29
Can she win? Yes
What makes her someone to watch: In 2006, Melissa became the first Canadian to medal in skeleton at the Olympics, earning a bronze. Now she’s back to grab the top spot on the podium before a hometown crowd. If you want to catch a truly adrenaline-pumping competition while getting behind a hometown favorite, check out Hollingsworth!

Follow her: on her website.

3. Shaun White

Sport: Snowboarding
Nation: USA
Age: 23
Can he win? Absolutely
Why he’s someone to watch: Well, you can’t miss him, with all that red hair. But besides that, he’s shown some awesome grit (recovering from smashing his head at the X-Games just weeks ago) and staying power: he’s the defending Olympic champ in the half-pipe.

Follow him: on Facebook.

4. Johnny Weir

Sport: Men’s figure skating
Nation: USA
Age: 25
Can he win? He’s a contender!
Why he is someone to watch: Johnny Weir is someone to watch both literally and figuratively. He is the new face of men’s figure skating, pushing himself beyond the rink to the realms of fashion and reality television, with his show “Be Good Johnny Weir” airing Mondays on the Sundance Channel. He refuses to be a role model, often sports outrageous and intricate costumes, and has a sassy mouth. Oh, did we mention he’s competing in the Olympics? Many figure skating enthusiasts will be watching Evan Lysacek, but we’ll be hanging on every jump, turn, sequin, and smirk of Weir.

Follow him: on his television show.

5. Shani Davis

Sport: Speed Skating
Nation: USA
Age: 27
Can he win? No one is sure.
Why he is someone to watch: (Editor’s Note: He’s hot.) Shani made waves in 2006 as the first black athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal, in the 1000m. Now he’s rousing headlines because of his fierce independence. Shani trains with no coach, no nutritionist, and no club. He refuses to practice with fellow American teammates. And he wants no part of being on an American relay team.  Furthermore, unlike most speed skaters who specialize in either long or short track, Shani does both. Can his independent training schedule earn him a medal again, or will his individualist attitude get the better of him?

Follow him: if you can!