1 hour ago
2
Let’s hear it for the girls!
Them ladies in the red, white and blue — and their Olympic derring-do.
This week, our American women shone brightly on the global stage, showcasing our nation’s exceptional spirit, grit and perseverance at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
In the process, they collected some gold discs in dramatic fashion.
Oh, how you made us proud! And, as a bonus, gave us a much-needed distraction from the stresses of the world.
There was figure skater Alysa Liu, who snagged gold and ended our country’s 20-year medal drought in the sport. Even sweeter, she did so after having retired in 2022 at age 16, only to lace up again with a relaxed smile and a renewed spirit.
She made it all look so easy.
Slalom skier Mikaela Shriffin become the most decorated American female skier in Olympic history, winning her first gold since her father tragically passed away in 2020. As she crossed the finish line in a decisively victory, she took a poignant pause to quietly remember him.
And — at 41 and in her fifth Olympic games — bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor finally nabbed her elusive gold. The mother of two adorable young sons, both of whom are deaf, juggled raising kids with her intense training; along with her hard-won medal, she was also a heavy favorite for a “World’s Greatest Mom” trophy.
And then there were our hockey gals from Team USA, who gave us a heart-thumping overtime victory over Canada with a beautiful goal from Megan Keller.
After the game, Captain Hilary Knight, whose goal took them to overtime, recalled telling her squad: “I said going into this tournament, ‘We’re America’s team.’ I said that to the girls. And I believe that.”
America’s sweethearts capped off their thrilling win standing side by side and belting out the Star Spangled Banner. It was an emotional moment of national pride.
For those seconds, we forgot our deep political divisions and remembered why we love this damn country so damn much.
It was the culmination of a great week — and acted as a cultural power wash, clearing away all that baked-in crud that has kept Americans stuck on our respective sides.
These elite athletes helped shut us up for a second. We had a real reason to stop bitching about one politician or another and simply cheer.
They also probably sold a few extra boxes of Kleenex.
And, as they say, behind every great woman are a few good dudes — like Ryan, Casey and Tommy Winn, siblings to hockey star Haley Winn. The Brothers Winn turned our social media feeds red, white and blue with their loud-and-proud coordinating get-ups, including bald-eagle masks.
Former college hockey players themselves, the trio of darling knuckleheads put on a social-media hype clinic as they posted patriotic rally videos for their sister and her teammates, notching millions of views and tons of new fans.
They werent the only fellas in the supporting cast.
In a tender moment at the the monobob medal ceremony, Meyers Taylor’s husband, fellow Olympic Bobsledder Nic Taylor, held one of their young sons and signed to him “Yes, that’s Mommy.”
And kudos to broadcaster Kenny Albert for delivering a gold-medal call that matched the drama of the moment when Keller knocked the puck around a Canadian defenseman and backhanded it past the goalie.
Albert screamed, “Score! Megan Keller,the overtime hero! The United States wins gold in Milan!”
He then stayed quiet, allowing viewers to soak in the elation of the moment.
Chronicling it all was photographer Bruce Bennett, who snapped an all-time-great photo: a jubilant Keller raising her arms in the air as Canada’s Claire Thompson lay on the ice, dejected with the agony of defeat. An American flag hung behind Keller, perfectly framed.
In fact, it was all perfect.
Maybe next week, we’ll be back to strangling each other over some micro-aggression or political disagreement. But for now, American ladies gave us something to crow about — Collectively.
If only we could bottle it. Cheers.
English (US)