From Shani Davis to Lolo Jones: Which black stars will shine at Sochi Olympics?
OPINION - The 2014 Winter Olympics are underway, featuring elite snow sports athletes from all over the globe taking center stage for the next three weeks. Of those athletes, very few are black, and even fewer are African-Americans...
The 2014 Winter Olympics are underway, featuring elite snow sports athletes from all over the globe taking center stage for the next three weeks. Of those athletes, very few are black, and even fewer are African-Americans.
Black athletes have never been a dominant presence in the Winter Olympics, and Sochi will be no different. But with Lindsay Vonn’s injury, and Shaun White drawing more headlines for pulling out of events than competing in them, the amount of recognizable American stars to root for has taken a substantial hit.
That leaves the door open for some of the few, talented, African-American Olympians to gain some fame if they compete well. Let’s breakdown the athletes who have the opportunity to become superstars in Sochi.
Shani Davis
Davis might be the one African-American who already is a household name, especially in Olympic circles. The 31-year-old speed skater already holds four medals. He’s in the history books, as he became the first black athlete to win a gold medal at a winter event, winning one at the Turin games in 2006.
Davis grew up in Chicago and became a prodigious roller skater before he was old enough to go to school. He switched to ice skating after his mother began working for an attorney who had a competitive speed-skating son. He dominated as a youth, climbed the ranks, and quickly became one of America’s top skaters. He has the movie-worthy story of using sport as an escape:
“I loved that it took me out of the South Side of Chicago,” Davis [told USA Today]. “It broadened my horizons.”
He’s earned the much-deserved crossover success. He holds sponsorships from McDonald’s and Ralph Lauren. He’s beloved in the skating world. He’s viewed as a role model, and how an Olympian is supposed to carry himself.
The reason we should all watch Davis this Olympics is so we can say we saw history. Another gold medal would make him the first U.S. Olympian to win gold in three straight Olympics (an achievable feat, as Davis has dominated in the recent World Cup skating events).
Davis is the current face of the Olympics for Americans. That feat in itself is almost as impressive as Davis’ speed skating career.
The U.S. bobsled team
The women’s bobsled team features six athletes and five of them are African-American. For the first time in women’s bobsled history, the teams will feature black women in the front, piloting. Elana Meyers is the most accomplished bobsledder, having won a bronze medal in the Vancouver games in 2010. Jazmine Fenlator – a track-and-field star in college – has experience, having been a pilot for three seasons.
Three black women will serve as brakemen. Aja Evans – another college track star – has been a bobsledder for just two years, but has already earned the honor of USA Bobsled’s Rookie of the Year. Fellow brakeman Lauryn Williams possesses the most Olympic pedigree, having won a gold medal already, as a sprinter in the 4 x100 relay in the 2012 London Games.
All four women make up a talented, interesting team, and could end up representing multiple medals for the U.S. if they compete well. Their fifth member has the opportunity to be the dominant story of the Olympics though…
Lolo Jones
Jones is one of the most famous athletes competing in Sochi. That notoriety has little to do with Olympic success though. She’s beautiful and a media darling. She gets covered by TMZ almost as much as she does by ESPN. And her activity on the field has been overshadowed by her lack of activity in the bedroom.
Jones was formally a hurdler, and competed in both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games. The 2008 campaign ended in heartbreak, as she clipped a hurdle in the final and finished seventh. 2012 saw her finish fourth, just missing the medal stand.
She was invited to try out for the bobsled team. She made the team, but not without more controversy, as many believe that she was put on the team simply for NBC to earn ratings in an Olympics devoid of major American Olympic stars.
There may not be an athlete at the Games with more detractors. There may not be an athlete capable of pulling in the ratings she’s guaranteed to garner, either. If she can medal in the bobsled, she’ll achieve an athletic feat she’s yearned for her entire career. If she manages gold, it’ll be the best story of the Olympics.
The Winter Olympics typically don’t have many athletes that African-Americans can identify with. These sports obviously lack the African-American star power, or even mere participation, of football, basketball, or even the Summer Olympics.
But there’s enough storylines to keep interest. Potential history-making and the opportunity to watch a redemption story should make this Winter Olympics one of the most intriguing for black athletes yet.
Follow Stefen Lovelace on Twitter @StefenLovelace.
