U.S. Figure Skating Team Makes History With Record Number Of Asian-Americans

The Winter Olympics may have just started, but the U.S. figure skating team has already set a record.

Out of its 14 members, a record-breaking seven skaters, half of the team, are Asian-Americans. Among them are several Olympic favorites, including mens gold medal prospect Nathan Chen and Kristi Yamaguchi mentee Karen Chen .

Asians across the internet are ecstatic over the representation.

This is just to say

I have noticed
most figure skaters
competing for @TeamUSA
are Asian-American.

Forgive me
they are beautiful
so talented
and I am so proud.#FigureSkating #Olympics #PyeongChang2018 #TeamUSA @USFigureSkating #representationmatters

Roma Panganiban (@romapancake) February 9, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Roma Panganiban","author_url":"https://twitter.com/romapancake","cache_age":86400,"description":"This is just to sayI have noticedmost figure skaterscompeting for @TeamUSAare Asian-American.Forgive methey are beautifulso talentedand I am so proud.#FigureSkating #Olympics #PyeongChang2018 #TeamUSA @USFigureSkating #representationmatters Roma Panganiban (@romapancake) February 9, 2018\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Roma Panganiban on 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This is just to say

I have noticed
most figure skaters
competing for @TeamUSA
are Asian-American.

Forgive me
they are beautiful
so talented
and I am so proud.#FigureSkating #Olympics #PyeongChang2018 #TeamUSA @USFigureSkating #representationmatters
Roma Panganiban (@romapancake) February 9, 2018

Omg ppl who look and talk like me....

Record number of Asian-American figure skaters at Winter Olympics https://t.co/gJcS9QhAWn
— shinnara (@shinnara) February 9, 2018

Other Asian-American team members include Olympic veterans Maia and Alex Shibutani, Madison Chock and Mirai Nagasu, as well as Vincent Zhou. Asian-American representation is up from the last Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in which four Asian-Americans were on the 15-member figure skating team.

As a whole, this years Team USA stands as the most diverse U.S. team in Winter Olympics history. In addition to 11 Asian-Americans, the group also includes 10 black athletes and two openly gay team members, according to the teams data. However, Jason Thompson, the U.S. Olympic Committees director of diversity, says theres far more work to be done.

Were not quite where we want to be, he told NPR. I think full-on inclusion has always been a priority of Team USA. I think everybodys always felt it should represent every American.

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Compared with the team that went to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. winter team lags in representation. Black athletes made up more than 20 percent of the summer team, compared with 4 percent at Pyeongchang.