Top 10 Olympic Female Athletes You Should Watch (2018)

This Alpine skiing marvel is the most successful American racer in history. A four-time World Cup Champion, Vonn is back to compete for her second Olympic gold medal. After winning gold in Vancouver in 2010, and becoming the first-ever female American to do so, she was forced to miss the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to injuries. But the ultra-competitive Vonn is coming back with even more determination in South Korea to regain her place on the top of the podium.

Norway is world-renowned for its many impressive cross-country ski athletes. High on that list is Marit Bjørgen, a 6-time Olympic champion who hopes to claim a seventh title in 2018. Bjørgen is ranked #1 in the all-time Cross Country World Cup rankings; and took home a whopping five medals at the 2010 Winter Games. And talk about a power couple: her life partner is fellow Norwegian gold-medalist skier Fred Børre Lundberg. Now those are some amazing genes to be passing on!

O’Shea was a talented track and field star in high school when she was approached by the father of her fellow US National Team member John Daly, who suggested that her athletic ability would be perfect for skeleton (a type of single-person bobsled). O'Shea has had an impressive career to date, winning the US National Championship in 2011, 2013 and 2017. What’s more, she’s also been selected as the USA Bobsled-Skeleton Athlete of the Year twice throughout her time on the national squad. Now, she’s aiming to prove her mettle on the Olympic stage.

This Czech speed skater specializes in long distance races and is already a 5-time Olympic medalist. Sáblíková was the first Czech to claim gold twice at the same games when she won both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters in 2010 in Vancouver. She then retained her title at Sochi in 2014 when she once again took home the gold medal for the 5000 meters. The fact that she began her skating training on a pond, since there was no dedicated speed skating stadium in the Czech Republic, makes her success that much more impressive.

What's better than one talented female athlete? A whole squad of them! Women's hockey was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1998, where the American team took home the inaugural gold medal. However, in every games since then, it’s been the Canadian ladies who’ve prevailed, and they’ve held the title for an impressive four consecutive games. But America is going for the gold again, and there are other worthy national challengers as well, like Sweden and Finland. Should be a battle royale!

At just 22 years old, Ledecká is making history in Pyeongchang as the first athlete to compete at an Olympics in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding. The young Czech is already the first athlete to do so at the World Championships, where she took home medals in both sports in 2017. Her coach, former American Olympic snowboarder Justin Reiter, is quoted as saying: “If she played golf and tennis at the level she skis and snowboards, she would be a household name in the United States.” High praise, indeed!

The Jamaican bobsled team qualified for the 1988 Calgary Olympics and captured the hearts of millions around the world. Now, thirty years later, three women are making a similar kind of history in the same event. For the first time ever at the Winter Olympics, an African nation will compete in a bobsled event. The driver, Seun Adigun, the driver – who’s also a 100 meter hurdler and 2012 Summer Olympian – will be joined by brakewomen Akuoma Omeoga and Ngozi Onwumere as they make Nigeria proud!

Japan's Sara Takanashi is one of the most decorated ski jumpers ever, winning four World Cup titles, as well as five World Championship medals. So she’s got a lot of trophies, but one thing she lacks is an Olympic medal. In 2014, at the Sochi Games, she narrowly missed finishing in the top 3 after her two jumps, ending up an agonizingly close fourth. But she is gunning for the podium in Pyeongchang to cap off her stellar career, even though she’s still only 21 years old!

This 14-year-old American snowboarding sensation made headlines in 2014 when she was not allowed to compete in the Sochi Games due to age restrictions. Despite that setback, she had unparalleled success at the X Games, where she is the only athlete ever to win three gold medals before the age of 16! The 2018 Games will thus be her first Olympics, and she is heavily favored to bring home some hardware, although she faces stiff competition like fellow teammate and defending champ Jamie Anderson.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Maame Biney
At 17-Years-Old, First African-American to Qualify for a U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team

- Britt Cox
Australian Mogul Skier, Youngest Athlete to Compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics

- Aja Evans
African-American Bobsled Bronze Medalist in 2014, Going for Gold

Our #1 spot had to go to superstar figure skater, Evgenia Medvedeva! At only 18 years old, the young skater has dominated for years, having been crowned World Champion, European Champion, Russian National Champion and Grand Prix Final Champion… all twice! Russia has been banned from the Games altogether because of a doping scandal, but Medvedeva is among a group of Russians able to compete in Korea as independents, labeled simply "Olympic Athlete from Russia". So we’ll still be able to marvel at her talent!