Medal Count 2018 Olympics: Updated Tally, Predicting Winners for Sunday Night
The first major American medal haul at the 2018 Winter Olympics should occur on Sunday night in the U.S. (Monday in Pyeongchang, South Korea).
The United States is favored to make the podium in the team figure skating event, women's snowboard slopestyle and the women's giant slalom in alpine skiing.
A rush of gold medals isn't expected until later in the Olympic schedule, but the United States' medal count should grow with a few second- and third-place finishes.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
While figure skating may be the sport that receives the most attention on Sunday, the American athlete with the most hype surrounding her is Mikaela Shiffrin, who is looking to achieve a Michael Phelps-esque medal collection in alpine skiing.
Medal Count
Predictions
Figure Skating Team Event
Canada has been on top of the figure skating team event for most of the competition, and it should remain that way on Sunday night.
The ice dance duo of Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue are expected to clinch the gold medal for the Canadians barring any significant pitfalls in the men's and women's free skate.
The Olympic Athletes from Russia and United States are locked in a battle for the other two medals. The Americans should have the upper hand in the ice dance, while the Russians have the edge in the women's free skate.
The performances that will determine the difference between second and third come in the men's free skate, which opens the night of skating at Gangneung Ice Arena.
Italy and Japan aren't completely out of medal contention, but they'll both need immaculate performances in all three disciplines to steal a medal.
Prediction: 1. Canada, 2. Olympic Athletes from Russia, 3. United States
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle
After poor weather on Saturday canceled the qualification heats in the women's snowboard slopestyle, every competitor moved on to the final.
Defending Olympic champion Jamie Anderson of the United States is the last of the 26 snowboarders to take the course in the first run, with fellow American Julia Marino hitting the course right before her.
The order of the second run will be determined by the scores in the first run, but expect Anderson to go last again in her gold-medal defense.
Austria's Anna Gasser, Japan's Reira Iwabuchi and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi should be in the mix for the podium as well.
Anderson and Gasser are seen as the two favorites to win gold, but as we've seen so far at the Olympics, the favorites are far from guaranteed to win.
Prediction: 1. Jamie Anderson (USA), 2. Anna Gasser (Austria), 3. Reira Iwabuchi (Japan)
Women's Giant Slalom
The golden reign of Mikaela Shiffrin in Pyeongchang starts on Sunday.
The American skiing phenom has a chance to be the most decorated athlete at the Winter Olympics if everything goes her way.
Shiffrin, 22, will be the seventh athlete down the hill at the Yongpyong Alpine Center in the first of two runs in the giant slalom.
Since winning the women's slalom gold in Sochi, Shiffrin has achieved just about everything on the World Cup circuit, including the 2017 overall title.
Shiffrin is attempting to win a medal in the giant slalom, slalom, downhill, super-G and Alpine combined events, and while that goal may seem far-fetched to some, it's attainable for the 22-year-old as long as she stays healthy throughout the Olympics.
France's Tessa Worley and Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg are expected to challenge for gold in the first Alpine skiing event in Pyeongchang.
The three favorites will be fourth, sixth and seventh down the slopes in the first run, which begins at 8:15 p.m. ET.
The second run of the women's giant slalom is expected to start at 11:45 p.m. ET.
Prediction: 1. Tessa Worley (France), 2. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), 3. Viktoria Rebensburg (Germany)
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Olympic.org.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
