9 Athletes That Have Set the Internet on Fire During the 2018 Winter Olympics

winter-olympics-athletes-2018
David Ramos/Getty Images; Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The 2018 Winter Olympics are well under way, and there have been plenty of viral moments from the athletes.

The internet has been abuzz about everything from the tangible chemistry between (allegedly platonic) Canadian ice skating couple Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue to US snowboarder Shaun White’s dramatic victory (and ensuing backlash).

Read on for an up-to-date roundup on all of the 2018 games’ most-talked-about athletes.

Shaun White

The Win


Snowboarder White won gold for the men’s halfpipe competition, becoming the first US male competitor to take gold home during three separate Winter Olympic games. His reaction took the internet by storm, as he became extra emotional.

The Backlash

Right after winning, some viewers were dissatisfied with all of the positive headlines surrounding White, who as recently as last May settled a lawsuit for alleged sexual harassment. The star athlete had been accused by a former bandmate, who claimed White would make inappropriate comments and send crude sexual content to her phone. Twitter had a lot to say about that:

Reputation Recovery

In an attempt to repair his reputation, White made things worse when he referred to the allegations as “gossip.” Further backlash led him to appear on Today to excuse his poor word choice .

Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue

Platonic or not?

The Canadian figure skaters have been paired together since they were kids but maintain they’re not a couple—despite the clear connection they have on the ice. Of course, their insistence hasn’t stopped viewers from shipping them hard on social media.

Mirai Nagasu

Making History

The 24 year old figure skater became the first American woman to nail a triple axel in the Olympics ever. Undoubtedly one of the biggest achievements in the games so far, Nagasu’s excitement was palpable, as was the excitement of those who witnessed her victory.

Eric Radford

Landmark Win

Radford became the first openly gay athlete to snag gold at the Winter Olympics when the Canadian team member won alongside pairs partner Meagan Duhamel. While there are other openly gay athletes competing in the games this year—Gus Kenworthy, Brittany Bowe, and Adam Rippon are representing the US—Radford’s win is certainly historical.

Image result for eric radford gif

Adam Rippon

Political Drama?

The openly gay Team USA member made headlines over his comment about Mike Pence. Essentially, he said that he wanted to focus on the games and ignore the political drama, but alas this wasn’t the case. In response to Rippon’s comment, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted at the athlete, saying not to focus on Pence, who isn’t concerned about the matter. Plenty of people were quick to point out that the vice president had, in fact, tweeted at the skater, wishing him success.

Alexa Scimeca Knierim & Chris Knierim

Keeping Love Alive

The US figure skating duo are actually married in real life, and took to the ice for a steamy Valentine’s Day routine that captured viewers’ attention. The pair also advanced to the next round of competitions.

Red Gerard

The F-Bomb Heard Round the World

The 17-year-old is the youngest competitor to take home Gold for the USA in a snowboarding category at the Winter Olympics. Gerard’s win has now become infamous after he overslpt before the event and then dropped an F-bomb when he discovered he’d won. Since then, he’s returned to the US for interviews.