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Michael Phelps Inspired These US Winter Olympic Curlers to Pursue Their Lifelong Dreams

Published 02/01/2022, 10:15 AM EST

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The much-awaited, 2022 Winter Olympics will begin on February 2, in Beijing. On day one, the American curlers Chris Plys and Vicky Persinger will compete against the Australian pair, Tahli Gill and Dean Hewett in the mixed doubles competition. This is a major event for both American curlers and they’ll look forward to sealing the victory.

What makes this Curling event special for the American duo is that it’s the same venue where the legend, Michael Phelps, won 8 gold medals in swimming back in the 2008 summer Olympics. It’ll be a boost for both the Americans to play at such a historic venue where their compatriot did the impossible.

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Phelps is an inspiration

Michael Phelps is an inspiration for every Olympian. When asked about him, Chris said, “He’s my favourite Olympian of all time, he’s been like an Olympic hero of mine, so to be able to stand in that same place and replay those memories of those races is something I’ll never forget.”

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While Vicky Persinger is taking part in her debut Olympics, her partner Chris Plys was an alternate at the 2010 Vancouver Games for John Shuster’s team. However, both of them are making their mixed doubles debut.

In the press conference yesterday, Vicky Persinger said, “I feel like I worked a long time to get to these Olympic Games and to finally be here, I feel so grateful.

Winter Olympics amidst Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on international sporting events. Just like Summer Olympics, this event will also process as per all the health and safety protocols, which means there will be no public in the stadium to cheer players.

How Do Winter Olympics Athletes Train Without Snow?

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Earlier, the Australian curling team was in isolation for 2 days because they were tested Covid positive on arrival. But the news is that they are fit enough to play in the competition.

Furthermore, the ministers and officials from the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Kosovo, and some EU nations will not be attending the Winter Olympics because of the diplomatic boycott of the Uyghur genocide, human rights situation in China, and Covid-19.

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It’ll be a great stage for American curlers to prove their potential and recreate some winning moments from the 2008 Summer Olympics. Michael Phelps has been their inspiration all along and now it’s time they live up to the standards of their inspiration.

Can Chris Plys and Vicky Persinger create history alike their role model Michael Phelps?

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Written by:

Saurav Panwar

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Saurav Panwar is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports. A postgraduate in Media and Communication Studies, he shares a profound love for creative direction and filmmaking. Saurav is also an avid reader and a literature devotee whose fandom spreads from classics to sci-fi, non-fiction, plays, comics, and much more.
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