20 Things We Learned About Team USA Last Week

Fireworks over the stage at the closing ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games 2018 Buenos Aires on Oct. 18, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

October has been a huge month for Team USA, and last week was no exception. The Youth Olympic Games came to a close, Figure Skating season began and the U.S. women’s soccer team did what it does best: win. Wait, did you miss anything? That’s what we’re here for.

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1. What do NASA, Apple, American Ninja Warrior and the Youth Olympics have in common? Josh Levin. The Youth Olympic athlete role model is looking to add to his impressive resume, as he’s a 2020 sport climbing Olympic hopeful.

2. Pumpkin spice lattes and fall colors mean figure skating season is here! Skate America marked the beginning of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating season, and ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue know that, even after their successful 2018 campaign, it’s time to take things to the next level.

3. Speedskating pros Heath and Jorrit Bergsma welcomed their newborn son Brent to the world last week. Heather is a speedskating bronze medalist for Team USA, and Jorrit won a gold and a bronze for the Dutch team. TBD on the year of Brent’s Olympic debut.

4. Track and field athlete Grace Stark received the honor of carrying the Youth Olympic closing ceremony flag. Stark won gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and was also chosen because of her impressive showing as an ambassador for Team USA during the Games.

5. Video games are the best way to start your journey of becoming an Olympian…. Well, at least for Trenton Cowels. He first started learning archery through playing on a Wii, and now he’s a Youth Olympic gold medalist.

6. Training never stops, just ask the Shib Sibs.

7. The U.S. women’s soccer team are Concacaf champions! Team USA is in the midst of a 26-game unbeaten streak and solidified its honors with a 2-0 win over Team Canada.

8. Relive our favorite moments through photos, while you’re at it.

9. Can Katie Ledecky predict the future? Hold on to this tweet!

10. The Women’s Sports Foundation announced its 2018 Sportswomen of the Year honors, and everything is coming up Team USA. Maddie Rooney, aka the Secretary of Defense and goalie for the U.S. women’s hockey team won team sportswoman of the year, while Paralympian Oksana Masters won the individual honors. Masters is only the second Paralympian ever to receive the honors.

11. Gymnastics Worlds are this week, and Sam Mikulak wants to make sure you have your eyes on him. Mikulak feels prepared, healthy and ready.

12. The Youth Olympic Games have (sadly) come to an end. Team USA has 26 athletes returning to the states with medals, three of which were from track and field, the most of any sport. Now, it’s time to start counting down the days until Lausanne 2020!

13. Olympic and world medalist Jamie Geubel announced her retirement ahead of the upcoming bobsled season. She is one of only three U.S. women’s bobsled pilots to win both Olympic and world championship medals, so her retirement marks the end of an era.

14. "This is what I train for, this is what I dream of, this is what wakes me up in the morning,” he said. “I feel more prepared than I ever have.”

-Gymnast Alec Yoder ahead of gymnastics worlds.

15. Figure skater Nathan Chen won his second consecutive Skate American gold medal on Sunday, kicking off the latest figure skating season in the best way possible. Chen, somehow only 19-years-old, made his Olympic debut in 2018.

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17.  Olympic and world medalist Jordan Burroughs is leaving 2018 Senior World Wrestling Championships with a bronze medal. Burroughs won in a dramatic fashion with the score decided by tiebreaker criteria.

18.  And David Taylor took home the gold!

19. The U.S. women’s rugby team got off to a fire start at the opening of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens series and is still walking away with the silver. After finishing fifth in the standings last year, it’s safe to say things are off to a good start.

20. Rose Lavelle really gets us.