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Red, White & Trending: Jan. 19-26

By Jamie MacDonald | Jan. 26, 2018, 7:19 p.m. (ET)

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."

 

Her Way

How’s this for a run? Thirty-six world cup podiums. Five world championship medals. Four Olympic medals. (And countless surfing waves in between.) After nearly 20 years on the world cup circuit, the remarkable career of alpine ski racer Julia Mancuso came to an end this weekend after she officially retired from the U.S. Ski Team. True to form, Mancuso made one last competitive run last weekend in Italy, and, of course, she did it her way.

To say the least …

For a look at the run in its entirety, check out the video, followed by some celebrating …

Chiming in on the retirement news: young Olympic champion and defending overall world cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who shared this unforgettable, upside-down moment with Mancuso.

One of the classiest social post send-offs came from longtime competitor and teammate (and “complete opposite”), Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn, who offers up a few priceless throwback pics, too.

There were also tears …

 

 

Shiffrin Stumbles … And Recovers With Aplomb

On the slopes, Shiffrin did not have the best of weekends in Italy, missing a gate in Cortina and crashing in San Vigilio di Marebbe. True to her own form, however, she rebounded nicely in social — checking in with a humorous status report.

 

Inside arm forward, level shoulders, outside ski pressure... looks good on all accounts, put me in coach! • • • • • • • • • mood - 😒☹️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ • • • • • • • • • On another note- there was some really incredible skiing out there today from a lot of girls. (@viktoria_rebensburg @ragmow @federicabrignone to name a few- congrats girls!!) Everybody is raising their level every race, every day- and that’s what sport is about. We push the limits, we get better; we fall, we get up; it’s never predictable, and no one is invincible...and THAT is flippin’ awesome. • • • • • • • • • Now I’m gonna go sulk some more k, bye. 🤷‍♀️🤜😒🤛

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) on

 

Starring Roles

If you’ve flown United recently, you may have seen the posters of luger Erin Hamlin, short track speedskater J.R. Celski and sled hockey player Nikko Landeros looking all superhero-like. Here are their works of art in (constant) motion …

 

#RIPJJ

The hockey world lost one of its most visible and important executives over the weekend when two-time Olympian and USA Hockey Assistant Executive Director Jim Johannson passed away in his sleep at the age of 53. (Full disclosure from the author: “JJ” and I were longtime friends who shared countless drives, meals, texts, stories and laughs over the years, beginning when I was a staffer at USA Hockey from 2003-07. In fact, our first meeting wasn’t even a meeting; he’d heard someone new was starting in the office and offered this stranger his house for two weeks while he was on the road.)

Johannson’s impact on Team USA’s culture beyond the obvious medal count over nearly two decades is impossible to measure — from waking up at frigid cracks of dawn to help equipment staff load vans in outposts all over the world, to gladly managing more details than anyone might have expected from an executive, to bringing a smile and a million laughs to a million rinks around the globe. He was at ease with so many people — volunteers, players, captains of hockey industry, parents, toddlers, family — and a loyal, thoughtful, classy, almost inhumanly selfless and buoyant friend. He never missed an opportunity to cover a check, take the edge off a stressful situation, offer to help or leave a Hall of Fame voicemail from the 612 number so well-known around the hockey world.

For those who knew him, to his family and friends and the strangers whose lives he touched, “beloved” barely covers it, and Team USA tried to cope through social media posts upon hearing the devastating news …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speed Week

When we last saw Christian Coleman making headlines, he was surprising the world with a silver medal in the 100-meter at worlds in London. Now, he’s a world-record holder in the 60-meters — breaking Maurice Greene’s record last achieved in 2001. And it looked a little something like this …

 

 

First Meet. World Record. All God. 6.37s #Blessed #JustDoIt

A post shared by Christian Coleman (@_coleman2) on

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Records

Two-time Paralympic swimmer Colleen Young, is now a sophomore at Fairfield University in Connecticut. And a school-record holder, too.

Setting a school record warrants a retweet. But this, this gets all caps …

 

Paying It Forward

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time water polo player of the year Maggie Steffens learned her love of the sport from her father, Carlos, who grew up in Puerto Rico. Each of his children retain a deep affection for Puerto Rico, and Maggie has been working to help support efforts related to repairing damage left behind by Hurricane Maria. The fruits of their hard work paid off this past week in the form of a big check to the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico.

 

Let’s Dance

Soon, Jessie Diggins will make her second Olympic appearance as one of the world’s best cross-country skiers. But, first, she’s going to dance in Austria.

 

The Struggle Is Real …

Parents, even among some of the most accomplished athletes in the world, can rally around this much …

 

Job Training

If your father is a legendary Olympic swimming champion who has a signature competition move, you might as well learn it at an early age.

 

Road To … Beijing

Olympic alpine skier Travis Ganong will not be competing in PyeongChang this time around, courtesy a pair of recent surgeries, but he’s already looking ahead. Way ahead, to 2022 (with a little help from his sister).

 

 

Pack Mentality

Packing for the Olympic Games is no ordinary effort …

 

 

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Related Athletes

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Julia Mancuso

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Lindsey Vonn

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Christian Coleman

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Travis Ganong

Alpine Skiing
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Maggie Steffens

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