United States

NorCal Olympians Hang Tough With World's Best in Pyeongchang

They didn't bring home a medal for the United States Thursday, but they held their own competing against the best athletes in the world going for gold in Pyeongchang.

Lake Tahoe-based skier Bryce Bennett finished 16th in the men's downhill competition while Palo Alto's Joanne Reid settled for 22nd in the 15km individual biathlon event.

VIDEO: Bryce Bennett: 'That Snow is So Buttery'

Bennett, who is competing in his first Olympic Games, believes his experience in South Korea will only help him moving forward in future competitions.

"What I really took away from this whole experience is you have to have all your ducks in a row, and you have to have everything in your career lined up and set in place so when this day comes and when it does come, you can execute," he said.

Execute is exactly what Reid was able to do in the women's 15km individual event. She has a disappointing finish in last week's sprint event, missing most of her targets and finishing second to last.

She managed to brush that performance aside and finish 22nd in Thursday's event, nailing 19 of 20 shots.

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Hometown: Fremont, Calif.

nBio:: Karen Chen placed third in ladies' figure skating at the U.S. National Championships in San Jose, Calif. to secure her place on the Olympic team. She has also won national titles as an intermediate and novice skater in 2011 and 2012.

nFun Fact: Chen counts 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi among her mentors.
2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.

nBio:: Vincent Zhou is among the youngest Olympic athletes competing at just 17 years old. He took home the bronze in men's figure skating at the U.S. National Championships in San Jose, Calif., helping to secure his ticket to Pyeongchang.

nFun Fact: Zhou logged 800 miles per week driving to training sessions in Southern California while living in Northern California.
2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

nBio: Jamie Anderson has been at the forefront of women's snowboard slopestyle for the past 10 years. She has the distinction of winning the first-ever gold medal in the sport. She is competing in her second Olympics.

nFun Fact: Anderson is one of eight siblings in her family.
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Birthplace: Monterey, Calif.

nBio:: J.R. Celski is competing in his third Olympics. He has a career total of three medals in short track skating, a silver and two bronze. He is also the world record holder in the 500m.

nFun Fact: Celski is of Polish and Filipino descent, and has a tattoo on his chest depicting the sun and stars from the Filipino flag surrounding the eagle coat of arms from the Polish flag.
2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Hometown:South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

nBio: Bowman is a 2014 Olympic halfpipe gold medalist and a 4-time X Games halfpipe gold medalist.

nFun Fact: In high school, Bowman won two state championship as a member of her school's soccer team and was the team captain her senior year.
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Birthplace: Los Gatos, Calif.

nBio:: Nick Cunningham became an Olympian just two years after he began competing in bobsledding. He is appearing in his third Winter Olympics.

Fun Fact: Cunningham has tried bull riding. He has also worked as a horseback tour guide.
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Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.

nBio: Joanne Reid's family has Olympic success in its blood. Her mother and uncle are Beth and Eric Heiden, both accomplished speed skaters. Joanne managed to take up Biathlon despite growing up the very snowless Silicon Valley.

nFun Fact: Reid lists "Firesteel" as her middle name. The name, which her father liked for its quirky spirit, comes from a river near her childhood home in Michigan
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Birthplace: Palo Alto, Calif.

nBio: Hilary Knight is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and is competing in her fourth Winter Olympics. She has been instrumental in leading the U.S. team to three world consecutive world championships.

nFun Fact: Knight often refers to her English bulldog, Winston, as her "chunk of love."
Hometown: Squaw Valley, Calif.

nBio: At 6-foot-7, Bryce Bennett is often mistaken for a basketball player. He won the U.S. downhill title in 2013 and is competing in his first Olympics.

nFun Fact: Because of his height, Bennett believes that his spirit animal is a giraffe.

Reid pulled out that result just hours after learning that she would actually be competing in the event.

"I was actually the alternate for this event, so I wasn't even supposed to race in it, and then because the race got moved and a weird series of events, here I am," she said. "So I didn't want to disappoint my roommate who really wanted to race this race, but also taking her spot and having a bad one, so I just wanted to go out here and shoot as well as I could for her."

Unfortunately for Reid, the 15km event was postponed due to wind conditions. That meant her parents, who had scheduled a flight to leave Pyeongchang earlier Thursday, couldn't see their daughter compete in person.

To watch Garvin Thomas' video, click here.

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