U.S. pair dances to silver
The ice dancing tandem of Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin took home the silver medal, becoming the first Americans to win an Olympic medal in their sport in 30 years. Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns, who won bronze at the 1976 Games, were the last two American ice dancers to capture a medal.
The pair, who train at IceWorks Skating Complex just outside Philadelphia, hope to build upon their Torino success in Vancouver. After withdrawing from the 2009 U.S. Championships because of a back injury suffered by Agosto, the five-time United States champions finished second at the 2009 Worlds in Los Angeles.
The best moments of the 2006 Olympics.
A tiara-clad Julia won the only U.S. women's alpine gold, Shaun dominated the halfpipe and Hedrick walked away with a hat trick. After 17 days of many highs and lows, Team USA finished the Games with 25 medals.
Texas speed skater wins three medals
There's something about the sound of a speed skater from Texas that doesn't quite fit. How does someone who grew up in a city where the temperature averages 85 degrees and football seems to be the only sport on anyone's mind become a Winter Olympic medalist?
After earning a medal of each color, Chad Hedrick proved that Spring, Texas, produces more than just quarterbacks. Hedrick took gold in the 5000m, silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 1500m, becoming the third U.S. winter Olympian to claim three medals at a single Olympics. Despite taking eight months off after Torino, Hedrick has returned to the sport, and with an intense training regimen, hopes to return to the podium in Vancouver.
Davis is first African American to claim Winter Olympic gold
With a gold in the 1000m and silver in the 1500m, Shani Davis became the first African American to win a gold medal in an individual event at a Winter Olympics. The former inline skater from Chicago's South Side made the switch to speed skating at age six, and has been a dominant presence in the sport ever since. As the current world record holder in the 1000m and 1500m, Davis is preparing for his second trip to the Olympics.
Cheek donates bonus money
Three-time Olympian Joey Cheek made headlines in Torino, not for his medal-winning performance on the ice, but rather for his performance off it. After taking gold in the 500m and silver in the 1000m, the Greensboro, NC native donated his bonus money ($25,000 for gold and $15,000 for silver) to Right to Play, a non-profit organization that uses sports to help children in some of the world's most depressed communities. Following Cheek's initial donation, corporate-matched donations poured in, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for children in war torn cities. After the Games, Cheek retired from competitive skating and founded Team Darfur, an international group of athletes trying to raise awareness for the conflict in Darfur, Sudan.
Alpine underdogs win gold
Twenty-one-year-old Julia Mancuso, who splits her time between Squaw Valley, Calif. and Hawaii, won gold in the women's giant slalom, becoming the first American since Debbie Armstrong in 1984 to win the event. The tiara clad Mancuso gave the American women their first Alpine medal since Picabo Street's in 1998. Mancuso has spent the offseason training in Hawaii and New Zealand to prepare for Vancouver, which would be her third Olympics.
Joining Mancuso with a gold medal winning performance was Park City, Utah, native, Ted Ligety. The Olympic rookie won gold in the men's combined, making him the only member of the men's Alpine team to win a medal in Torino. Despite a crash and subsequent injuries at the 2009 Nationals, Ligety hopes to make a strong return to the scene in Vancouver.
Bode leaves Torino empty handed.
Facing high expectations, New Hampshire native, Bode Miller was unable to deliver in Torino. The two-time overall World Cup champion (2005 and 2008) failed to make the podium in each of his five medal attempts. With DNF's in three of his races, his best finish of the Torino Olympics was fifth in the downhill.
Men's curling takes home first medal ever
Historically, the U.S. has been anything but a powerhouse in the sport of curling, and until Torino, its lack of Olympic medals proved this true. By defeating the British in the consolation game, the U.S. men won bronze, the first Olympic medal won by a US curling team. Skip John Shuster is the only member of the 2006 team returning to compete in Vancouver.
Ohno earns a fifth medal.
Adding to his gold and silver from Salt Lake, Apolo Ohno won three medals in Torino, making him the fourth US Winter Olympian to win three medals in a single Games. The Seattle native won gold in the 500m, bronze in the 1000m and bronze in the 5000m relay. After the Games, Ohno garnered more attention for his performance off the ice and on the dance floor. Alongside partner, Julianne Hough, Ohno was crowned champion of Dancing With The Stars: Season 4. Recently, Ohno has been living and training in Park City to prepare for his third Olympic appearance.
US snowboarders dominate
After a stellar showing in Salt Lake, US snowboarders dominated the men's and women's half pipe once again. Snowboarding phenom and San Diego native, Shaun White defended his Olympic title by winning halfpipe gold. Mammoth Lakes, Calif. resident Danny Kass took silver. On the women's side, Vermont native Hannah Teter won gold while Gretchen Bleiler, originally from Ohio, finished with silver. All four plan to return to Vancouver as part of another strong US contingent.
A disappointing Games for U.S. figure skating
After a fourth place finish at the 2002 Games, Los Angeles native, Sasha Cohen was a favorite for gold entering Torino. Her experience at the 2006 Games was filled with highs and lows. After a strong short program, Cohen entered the final night of competition with thoughts of gold just moments away. Shortly into her free skate, she suffered a disappointing fall and left the ice without any expectation of a medal. After other skaters fell, including Russia's Irina Slutskaya, Cohen was awarded a silver medal.
With no podium finishes, the US male figure skaters also experienced some disappointment in Torino. Entering the Games as the reigning national champion, Pennsylvania native Johnny Weir finished fifth. Ahead of Weir was Chicago native, Evan Lysacek, who finished just off the podium in fourth.
All three skaters are currently training with plans to compete in Vancouver. Lysacek has had the most recent success with a 2009 World Championship victory. Despite a disappointing 2008-2009 season, Weir is training and hopes to compete in Vancouver. Cohen, who took some time off from competitive skating at the end of 2006, announced in May that she plans to come back and compete in Vancouver.
