Every four years, sports lovers across the world dust off their television sets, because the Winter Olympics have arrived. From 2010, when the event took place in Vancouver, to 2014, when it took place in Sochi, fans have always been excited to see their favorite athletes hit the ice. And as winter sports amass more and more fans around the world, women have gained a greater portion of the attention, accolades and support that are granted to the cooler side of the athletic spectrum.
Over the years, the women athletes of the Winter Olympics have amassed a great deal of success. In the 21st century alone, we have been fortunate enough to watch the best of the best of them compete at the highest level, in multiple variations of winter sports – whether it be extreme freestyle halfpipe, intense alpine ski racing, or graceful ice dancing.
Thanks to the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, many of us have come to know and love a wide variety of winter sports women athletes. But what have they all been up to since then? And how many more Winter Olympics will they compete in? Well, as it turns out…
The more one watches top athletic competitions such as the Olympics, or any competitive sports for that matter, the more one understands that our professional athletes, both women and men, can’t compete at such a high level forever. Alas, they might be superheroes, but they are also human, and their appearance in one Winter Olympics, it doesn’t guarantee their appearance at a later one.
There are many factors that could lead to an athlete’s retirement. It can be due to an injury or basic wear and tear, as they are faced with the physical depreciation that comes with getting older. An athlete might also stop performing due to personal reasons, external to his field of expertise. Finally, the decision to start a family still brings more women than men athletes to decide to slow down with the careers.
That said, many former professional women athletes move on to adjacent careers as commentators, coaches and spokespeople – all this in addition to a great deal of them who are active and still have plenty more in the tank.
If you happen to not be up to date on the latest news on your favorite women winter sports athletes, have no fear – we’re happy to fill you in. So grab a blanket and your favorite warm drink, because we’re about to show you what some of our all-time favorite athletes have been up.
[post_page_title]Silje Norendal – Snowboarding[/post_page_title]
Silje Norendal is a snowboarder hailing from Norway, who has competed in various winter sports, such as halfpipe, boardercross, and slopestyle. She competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics, getting a score of 78.7 in the Slopestyle Semifinals and finishing in fourth place. But she is known for performing in other competitions as well, such as the 2013 and 2015 Winter X Games, where she managed to win a gold medal in the ladies slopestyle challenge – both times!
