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After 17 days of thrilling displays of sportsmanship covering 15 sporting
disciplines, the 21st Olympic Winter Games came to a close on 28 February
2010. In that time 2,632 registered athletes from 82 nations participated
in 86 events. The 2010 Winter Olympics were the third Olympics hosted
by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously,
Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the
1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
Canada clinched first place in gold medal wins with 14 and became the
first host nation since Norway in 1952 to lead the gold medal count.
Canada broke the record for the most gold medals won at a single Winter
Olympics. The United States won the most medals in total with 37 and
broke the record for the most medals won at a single Winter Olympics.
Vancouver 2010
10. Even before the Games officially began, tragedy struck as
Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed into a pole
at the finish. Controversy surrounded the response of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC). While they built a wall
to prevent further accidents, they blamed Kumaritashvili for
his own death. Eventually, the IOC promised Kumaritashvili’s
family a life-insurance settlement. A luge track will be built in
his home country.
9. Canadian Alex Bilodeau -- with brother and personal inspiration
Frederic, who has cerebral palsy, wildly cheering him on -- skis
to the first Canadian gold on Canadian soil.
8. Japanese sledge-hockey goalie Mitsuru Nagase sheds tears of
joy and amazement as his team -- most didn’t know what
hockey was a few years ago -- astounds the overpowering
Canadians 3-1 in a crucial semi-final.
7. Swedish skier Anja Paerson sails 180 metres over a jump in
the downhill and crashes spectacularly, an instant YouTube
sensation. Amazingly, the next morning, she straps on her skis
and speeds down the same treacherous downhill run on her
way to a bronze in the combined downhill/slalom race.
6. In short-track speed skating, Charles Hamelin avoids mayhem
all around on his way to two slippery wins, Canada’s only
double-gold Olympic medallist.
Top 10 Medals table
Country
Total
Canada
14 7 5 26
Germany
10 13 7 30
United States
9 15 13 37
Norway
9 8 6 23
Korea
6 6 2 14
China
5 2 4 11
Sweden
5 2 4 11
Austria
4 6 6 16
Russian Federation
3 5 7 15
France
2 3 6 11
Australia finished 18
th
with 2 gold, 1 silver.
Great Britain came in 24
th
with 1 gold medal.
10 memorable moments from the 2010 Winter Olympics
Canadian newspaper,
The Province
, listed the following as the most unforgettable moments of the Winter Olympics. The list shows a
strong Canadian bias, but it was their Olympics after all.
5 . Aging U.S. skier Bode Miller was shut out in Torino in 2006,
critics said he was too brash, too cocky, and too old to ski with
his younger rivals. Miller shows up his critics by winning three
ageless medals -- a gold, a silver and a bronze.
4. After Canada took home gold in women’s hockey, it was left
to overtime hero Sidney Crosby to deliver Canada’s most
cherished medal -- men’s hockey gold.
3. Canadian Devon Kershaw in the Olympics’ most gruelling
event -- more than two hours of poling a mind-boggling 50
kilometres on skis -- finished 1.6 seconds behind gold medallist,
Norway’s Petter Northug, and wound up in fifth place: “It
hurts -- a second-and-a-half from gold. It’s a great result, but
you’re thinking, ‘So close, so far.’ “
2. Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic broke four ribs and
suffered a collapsed lung when she crashed off the course
the day of her women’s sprint race. Ignoring her coach’s
advice, Majdic ran three preliminary races to qualify for the
final. Crossing the line totally spent, Majdic collapsed and
was carried away by two coaches, and had to be helped on to
the podium to collect her bronze medal.
1. Lauren Woolstencroft had five golden moments all her own.
The North Vancouver para-alpine skier took home five golds in
her five events, winning her races in runaway style.