2014 Olympics Preview: Snowboarding

Events

Men and Women both compete in:

Slopestyle

Halfpipe

Snowboard Cross

Parallel Slalom

Parallel Giant Slalom

Overview

Snowboarding was added to the Winter Games in 1998. If you've seen the X Games, you pretty much know what to expect here (including America dominating the medals). The Halfpipe is probably the most well-known competition and features the most exciting jumps and aerial tricks. Slopestyle is pretty much straight out of N64 1080 Snowboarding. Yes, that's the second N64 reference I've made in these previews. If you never had one, what did you do with yourself in the late 90s/early 2000s? The Parallel Slaloms feature head-to-head races on identical courses down a hill. In Snowboard Cross, groups of four race through the course with the top finishers advancing through the tournament to the medal round.

Favorites

Shaun White might be the biggest name at these Olympic Games after how he has dominated the X Games and is one of only three Double Gold Medalists. One of the others is Seth Wescott who has won Snowboard Cross each of the last two Olympics and will go for his third Gold. The US Women's team features two Olympic medallists (Kelly Clark and Lindsey Jacobellis) along with one of the top snowboarders in the world (Jamie Anderson).

US Hopefuls

See the "Favorites" section. Go America.

Prediction

The US is going to clean house.