Breakthroughs, Surprises Mark U.S. Olympic Success

Several weeks ago, I wrote this post about an economics professor who predicted that Canada would lead all nations in the medal count at the Vancouver Olympics. He also predicted that the U.S. would win only five gold medals and 26 medals overall.

Boy, was he ever wrong.

Canada started out slow the first week, finished with 26 medals overall, but did lead all countries with 14 gold medals. But the U.S. led in the overall record medal count with 37, including nine gold medals. It is by far the best collective performance by a group of American athletes during the Winter Olympic Games. While the big-name athletes like Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and Shani Davis and Apolo Ono, came through as expected, other gold medal performances were either breakthroughs or surprises.

Breakthroughs
Nordic combined. Before the Olympics, the U.S. had never won a medal in the Nordic Combined event (2 phases: ski jumping and cross country skiing). They leave Vancouver with four medals, the most of any country.

Four-man bobsled. The last time the U.S. won gold in this event was 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. 62 years later, Steve Holcomb piloted the U.S. team to gold.

Short-track speedskating. Katherine Reutter won a silver and bronze medal in short track speedskating, becoming the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal in that event. She is sure to be a contender in Sochi in 2014. Ditto for J.R. Celski, who picked up a bronze, after overcoming a horrific injury last fall that put his Olympic future in doubt.

Surprises
Alpine skiing. Beyond Vonn, the U.S. ski team wasn't considered to be much of a threat. But they won eight medals total, including two silver by Julia Mancuso who peaked at just the right time and Bode Miller, who made a huge comeback with three medals, one gold, silver and bronze.

Men's figure skating. Evan Lysacek went into the Games as a contender for a medal, but walked away with gold after two brilliant programs. He not only defeated the reigning Olympic champion, Evgeni Plushenko, who came out of retirement after last competing in Torino in 2006, Lysacek also defeated a very deep men's field.

U.S. men's hockey. The men's hockey team was the youngest in the field and weren't expected to medal in Vancouver. But don't tell them that. They won all three games in the preliminary round, including a 5-3 victory over the heavily favored Canadians. The two teams would meet again in the gold medal game, but with a different result. The Canadians prevailed in overtime 3-2, in one of the most exciting games in Olympic Games memory, and the Americans go home with silver.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks for the memories.