What are Team USA athletes — Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls — up to when they're not competing? They're training. They're practicing. They're traveling to competitions and meets and games and tournaments. They're relaxing. They're getting engaged and married and having children. They're taking hard-earned vacations. Or retiring. Or coping with the raw emotions that come from losing and winning. And they're sharing. Through the reach of social media, we're able to follow along on their often extraordinary journeys. We'll catch you up each week on what's "Red, White & Trending."
Halloween Hit Parade
When social media meets de facto national holidays, the result is always a joy. We pack in more than 30 of Team USA’s best Halloween efforts, including attempts at winning the internet and impressing Miracle on Ice goaltender Jim Craig. But we begin with a mighty frightening LeBron James, three-time Olympian and avowed fan of Halloween, who broke the 1,000,000 likes mark with this …
Wham ๐๐ผ๐ฅ Pow!
— Jayson Terdiman (@jterdimanUSA) October 30, 2017
Then the dynamic duo got in the ๐ฆ-mobile and were off! Headed to PyeongChang ๐ฐ๐ท w/ @MMortensenUSA! #TeamUSA #Halloween2017 pic.twitter.com/2z69FJyMrn
๐Flying into #halloween like....happy #halloween ๐ ๐ป pic.twitter.com/8OGmA4tw7L
— Tatyana McFadden (@TatyanaMcFadden) October 31, 2017
Fresh Prince of Bel Air featuring Will, Hilary and Carlton. #yohomessmellyalater pic.twitter.com/ZkZ1jKmFNu
— Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) October 31, 2017
Happy Halloween from the Moses family! Hope everyone has a great time trick or treating. #halloween2017 #family #fun #spooky #spider pic.twitter.com/d4bilnGRXI
— Merrill Moses (@MerrillMoses) October 31, 2017
Happy Sunday, people. pic.twitter.com/jBxH1AHcEa
— Brooklyn Decker (@BrooklynDecker) October 30, 2017
#PFLFightNight: PFL’s real-life super hero @Judo_Kayla is on her way to @childrenshealth to help celebrate #Halloween with some young fans. pic.twitter.com/91ijGUUfWr
— #PFLFightNight (@ProFightLeague) October 31, 2017
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! ๐๐ป In honor of leaving 4 ๐ฏ๐ต next week, I decided 2 dress as my fav Japanese snack! ใใใใผใใญใฆใฃใณ! ็งใฏใธใงใคใฝใณใใจใใซใใใงใ๏ผ ๆฅๆฌใใพใๆฅ้ฑ๏ผโค๏ธ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/xvWPtrAbYr
— Jason Brown (@jasonbskates) November 1, 2017
Happy Halloween! @shawnjohnson #holiday #holiday? #trickortreat #halloween #makeup pic.twitter.com/vUaGwEPmxR
— Andrew East (@AndrewDEast) November 1, 2017
Graham man was pretty excited for his first Halloweenโบ๏ธ๐ pic.twitter.com/1MiyWduWrv
— Carly Patterson (@CarlyPatterson) November 1, 2017
Happy Halloween!! ๐๐ปโ ๏ธ๐ฌ๐ซ pic.twitter.com/pvWTuEHXX1
— Kara Goucher (@karagoucher) November 1, 2017
Pretty sure the ghost of David Bowie won Halloween this year. pic.twitter.com/BBHjxwsnTo
— Lilly King (@_king_lil) October 29, 2017
Duke says happy Halloween! ๐ pic.twitter.com/67s01c3Igu
— Jess Hardy Meichtry (@swimhardy) October 29, 2017
Getting into the Halloween spirit. @nikebasketball pic.twitter.com/4mtxLhsHHu
— Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) October 29, 2017
Fire Marshal on the case. Paw Patrol is on a roll pic.twitter.com/eZieslF47H
— BIANCA KNIGHT (@MsBiancaAK) October 28, 2017
Winston wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!!! pic.twitter.com/Hh5ZG3OBDB
— Hilary Knight (@HilaryKnight) October 31, 2017
HAPPY HALLOWEEN from one ANGRY BIRD ๐ฆ๐๐ป (you'd be angry too if your human dressed you up in a ridiculous costume ๐ถ) #angrybird pic.twitter.com/15YNYRwbeG
— Becca Meyers (@becca_meyers) October 31, 2017
#HappyHalloween @bworldarena @USFigureSkating @USOlympic pic.twitter.com/S7w8Riw0SX
— Ben Agosto (@Ben_Agosto) October 31, 2017
Happy Halloween ๐ from us to you. pic.twitter.com/EHMVbXRVri
— US Speedskating (@USSpeedskating) October 31, 2017
Annnnnd ... When you want to take a crack at winning the internet on Halloween, there are stranger ways to go about it than this …
pวuษนษส uววq วส,noส pic.twitter.com/HKBVdjpbuQ
— U.S. S๐ccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) October 31, 2017
Or if you want to go and impress Jim Craig, here’s a miraculous idea …
These guys CRUSHED their halloween costume! LOVE it! What is everyone dressing up as? #DoYouBelieveInMiracles pic.twitter.com/ZmWLXZYJmG
— Jim Craig (@JimCraigUSA) October 31, 2017
More Pumpkins
Four-time Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper retired this past May, ending his bid to compete at a fifth Games before Rio and keeping his number of Olympic appearances even with his number of kids. Until …
We're excited to announce that we will be adding another little pumpkin to this patch...March, 2018! pic.twitter.com/BCF6pGNoGM
— Hunter Kemper (@hunterkemper) October 31, 2017
Comeback Continues
So many of the images we see pass through social timelines of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls are freighted with incredible histories. Take, for example, John Daly, who had retired after Sochi before making a comeback this past November in hopes of going to PyeongChang. Just last month, his longtime friend and teammate Kyle Tress retired for good. So, when Daly, while training with Team USA in PyeongChang on the very track he hopes to see again, appears to have something on his mind, it’s no wonder.
Sliding Into PyeongChang
As a contingent of Team USA’s sliders were peace’ing out of PyeongChang, a new crew was on its way in with all the hopes and wonder of a team taking another step toward realizing the dreams that fuel them on a regular, sometimes minute-by-minute, basis.
It’s #100daysout from the 2018 #WinterOlympics and the @TeamUSA Luge crew is training in Pyeongchang! ๐ช๐ pic.twitter.com/1gp4CptTiF
— Matt Mortensen (@MMortensenUSA) November 1, 2017
With 100 days until #PyeongChang2018 we landed in Korea for the start of our international training week. Talk about good timing! #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/DQJ3T0MNUO
— Tucker West (@TuckerWest1) November 2, 2017
Century Mark
Winter. Is. Coming. And, with it, PyeongChang draws that much more sharply into focus — both in the minds of so many fans who love the Games, and the hearts and souls of the Team USA athletes driven to make the most of their Olympic stage. This week marked perhaps the most significant of all the mile markers along the way, as Team USA celebrated the occasion of a mere #100DaysOut — complete with Today show appearances, sartorial reveals, hockey players, curlers, para skiers, sliders just back from training in PyeongChang, the New York Stock Exchange, a Jimmy Fallon appearance and so much more.
.@AshWagner2010 treated us to a special performance #100DaysOut from the Winter Olympics! pic.twitter.com/T7UXx6Or3a
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 1, 2017
Really fun celebrating #100DaysOut with @TeamUSA, @TODAYshow, and @RalphLauren this morning! #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/2ABJ90wOmT
— Maia Shibutani (@MaiaShibutani) November 1, 2017
TONIGHT: @lindseyvonn visits @FallonTonight to conclude the 100 days to the #WinterOlympics festivities! pic.twitter.com/7c4UZpdmSt
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) November 1, 2017
Jimmy's READY to coach @LindseyVonn in the Olympics #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/6gxEnaMup3
— Fallon Tonight (@FallonTonight) November 2, 2017
Wearing It Well
As part of the #100DaysOut celebration, USA Hockey also unveiled the jerseys its athletes will wear in PyeongChang for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Even on Day 1, the jerseys looked pretty good.
Had such a great time in NYC with @TeamUSA ! So many amazing athletes representing this great country! #100DaysOut pic.twitter.com/G23b157xib
— Brianna Decker (@Bdecker14) November 2, 2017
Super excited to be in NYC with @TeamUSA for the #100DaysOut #TeamUSAFest @usahockey pic.twitter.com/GNLH0lLpdr
— Declan Farmer (@6DFarmer) November 1, 2017
This may be my favorite part of a Paralympic year, you know, besides the actual Paralympics https://t.co/NuDPQSIKvI
— Josh Pauls (@spudsusa27) November 1, 2017
World Series, Team USA Style
If a national competition is involved, count this country’s elite athletes and inveterate competitors in. Over the course of the past few weeks, many have been caught up in the Fall Classic, Major League Baseball’s grand finale, between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. On Thursday in Los Angeles, the teams, which had traded leads often enough to have made the series a dramatic one to begin with, played a decisive Game 7 to bring to a close a season that began in April. We take you back to watch the drama unfold through the eyes of Team USA ...
Got my @Dodgers Dog ready to go for some #WorldSeries #Game7 cheering! #repurposedhalloweencostume pic.twitter.com/Ly2l6AVLjc
— Jess Hardy Meichtry (@swimhardy) November 2, 2017
Such an awesome series so far....what’s going to happen tonight??? #Astros #Dodgers #WorldSeries2017 โพ๏ธ
— Chellsie Memmel (@CMemmel) November 2, 2017
With @Dodgers legends Sandy Koufax, Rick Monday, Steve Garvey & Don Newcombe waiting for the game to start. pic.twitter.com/U7goy1iYuf
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 2, 2017
What a start to game 7. I hope they both score 20+!!
— chris plys (@chrisplys) November 2, 2017
Astros coming out like it’s the final game of the #WorldSeries Let’s geaux @Dodgers ๐โพ๏ธ
— Jennie Finch (@JennieFinch) November 2, 2017
#EarnHistory @astros - big time start ๐ฅ
— Stuart Holden (@stuholden) November 2, 2017
The beard game on the Astros is so on point. #WorldSeriesGame7
— Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) November 2, 2017
Dream come true #hr4hr @dodgers pic.twitter.com/M89HGhU4T4
— Kate Hansen (@k8ertotz) November 2, 2017
WORLD CHAMPS!!!! HOUSTON ASTROS!!! #earnhistory
— Patrick Reed (@PReedGolf) November 2, 2017
I love my city!
— Simone Manuel (@simone_manuel) November 2, 2017
Congrats @astros Couldn’t be more excited for the city of Houston & all my friends cheering for the stros. Thx @Dodgers for a great run!
— Jennie Finch (@JennieFinch) November 2, 2017
Congrats @astros! Heroes healing Houston after Harvey! We โค๏ธ ya!
— Simone Manuel (@simone_manuel) November 2, 2017
2017 WS Champs!!
An amazing run, team and city!! Well done @astros. Congratulations. #EARNEDHISTORY https://t.co/eJF1dUozoM
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) November 2, 2017
THE HOUSTON ASTRO’S ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS BABY!!!!!!! #EarnHistory
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) November 2, 2017
CHAMPIONS! #Astros #worldseries17 #HoustonStrong๐ช๐ป
— Jonathan Horton (@J_Horton11) November 2, 2017
Strooos!!!!! Congrats on earning your way into history. Much respect.
— James Harden (@JHarden13) November 2, 2017
Congrats @astros !!!! #HoustonStrong ๐ช๐พ
World Series VIP
In addition to cheering on the Astros throughout Game 7, Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles enjoyed some VIP treatment — save for, perhaps, the eagle in the pics below — during a World Series game back in Houston.
GO ASTRO'S โพ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/1Z449ZgFvl
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 28, 2017
#WorldSeriesGame3 w/ the fam
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 28, 2017
โพ๏ธโค๏ธ pic.twitter.com/IJ2uisAwTJ
wish y'all could see the live photo of this ๐ฆ ๐ this would happen to me haha classic pic.twitter.com/0vZLWS3C9M
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 28, 2017
๐ฆ pic.twitter.com/nZQCgzjBJk
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 28, 2017
This week, however, wasn’t all fun and games for Biles, who also went back to work.
can't believe I start gym this week
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 30, 2017
Chasing Summer
Sure, snow has fallen in Truckee, Calif., but four-time Olympic skier Daron Rahlves is going to …
Snuck in a full pull down and back to call it good till next summer. Mid 30’sF and the hands felt it. Thanks to DB… https://t.co/NVCd7RGvBx pic.twitter.com/KlMH5uYOKJ
— Daron Rahlves (@RahlvesBanzai) November 2, 2017
Swiss, Watch
Winter is out there, too, and Team USA’s Paralympic skiing hopefuls are out there chasing it in Switzerland. Right, Andrew Kurka?
And, with a side of strength training for the Paralympic skiing duo of Kevin Burton and Chris Tatsuno …
Start Your Engines
In the case of Mikaela Shiffrin, ski season is underway after a season-opening stop in Solden. Shiffrin led Team USA with a 5th-place finish at the first World Cup of the Olympic season, though her impact had been felt a full day before the gates opened.
Shiffrin, the defending overall champion, remained classy in defeat.
Current mood- ๐โ๏ธ๐ค๐คฆโ๏ธ๐.. but congrats @V_Rebensburg @TessaWorley and Manuela Moelgg! The race season has started! ๐๐ป๐๐
— Mikaela Shiffrin (@MikaelaShiffrin) October 28, 2017
Crushing It
At U.S. Skiing’s New York Gold Medal Ball on Thursday night in Manhattan, Olympic champion alpine skier Lindsey Vonn sprung a surprise on 2002 Olympic teammate, freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom: She once had a “super big” crush on the two-sport star. Bloom’s reply, which you can see below, is priceless.
So, @lindseyvonn used to have a crush on @JeremyBloom11... ๐ #NYGoldMedalGala pic.twitter.com/maDw9eTZ7x
— U.S. Ski Team (@usskiteam) November 3, 2017
Generation Next
Speaking of skiers, this is pretty good form for a young downhiller …
Sightseeing Game On Target
In India for the World Cup, some of USA Shooting’s biggest stars were out, including two-time Olympian Frank Thompson, legendary six-time Olympian Kim Rhode and phenom Ginny Thrasher, the 20-year-old gold medalist in the 10-meter air rifle at the Rio Games this past summer. In addition to the competition, the trio also enjoyed some sightseeing.
Went to the #Lotus in #india with teammates @GinnyThrasher and @f_thompson15 . @USAShooting pic.twitter.com/LZ6QkhsLA8
— Kim Rhode (@KimRhode) October 29, 2017
Being a tourist today in #India! @USAShooting @winchester @Beretta_USA @TruckVault pic.twitter.com/cgANN2APXk
— Kim Rhode (@KimRhode) October 27, 2017
Shoutout to my mom for hemming these pants an hour before my plane took off pic.twitter.com/8W3EsWLIBa
— Ginny Thrasher (@GinnyThrasher) October 27, 2017
Taking home a cool souvenir #tatted pic.twitter.com/ggH1pZfXhw
— Ginny Thrasher (@GinnyThrasher) October 28, 2017
The Next Countdown
We’re now inside 100 days to PyeongChang, but …
#1000DaysToGo until @Tokyo2020! pic.twitter.com/S6lcAMHLED
— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) October 28, 2017
๐Exactly #1000daystogo until Tokyo to host the ๐'s most exciting event: the Olympic Games!
— Tokyo 2020 (@Tokyo2020) October 28, 2017
Who can't wait?https://t.co/Smmvo9qIJ3 pic.twitter.com/0R3bQdhAdO
Counting with us? โฒ๏ธ๐ฏ๐ต@Tokyo2020 @Japan_Olympic pic.twitter.com/aZjIKLUIi9
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) October 28, 2017