Soon, the world will set their eyes on the city of Vancouver for the XXI Winter Olympic Games. On February 12, 2010, Canada will showcase one of its finest cities, as it hosts the athletes of the world. Here's a look at some of the key story lines that will pan out over the 17 days of competition.
Winter powerhouse
The United States will look to back up their previous two historic showings in the Winter Olympics. At the 2002 Salt Lake Games, the U.S. had its most successful performance ever, with 34 medals, including 10 gold. Four years later, they were able to score 25 medals, including nine gold, which was the most successful offshore Winter Games in American history.
With Vancouver being a short drive from Seattle, the U.S. will almost feel at home as they look to repeat the success of the last two Games. With several key returning Olympians such as Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Apolo Ohno, along with a slew of rising stars, the U.S. is poised to build on its recent winter sports domination with another strong showing.
Home team's quest for gold
Vancouver will be Canada's third home Olympics. In the previous two, the 1976 Montreal Summer Games and the 1988 Calgary Winter Games, the Canadian team failed to win a single gold medal. They will try and reverse that trend in 2010, with two potential candidates trying to defend Torino gold; speed skater Cindy Klassen and moguls champ Jennifer Heil.
A look at the U.S. athletes expected to shine at the Vancouver Games.
Male figure skaters to watch in Vancouver.
Quest for alpine redemption
The U.S. has won just four alpine skiing medals in the previous two Winter Olympics. They will look to redeem themselves in Vancouver, with one of their strongest teams. The headliner of their efforts will be Lindsey Vonn, who is arguably the top female skier in the world. During her banner 2008-2009 season, Vonn won two gold medals at the World Championships (downhill, super-G) and became just the second American ever to win consecutive World Cup titles. Along with Vonn, the U.S. ski team will be joined by reigning Olympic champions Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso. Together, they will look to erase the country's recent Olympic disappointments.
New faces
The figure skating landscape has changed drastically since the 2006 Torino Games. On the women's side, 2006 champ Shizuka Arakawa will not be returning to action. Runner-up Sasha Cohen will look to make the U.S. team but is not a medal favorite this time around. In the meantime, 2008 world champion Mao Asada, of Japan, and two-time bronze medallist Kim Yu-Na, of South Korea, have established themselves as the top contenders for Olympic gold in Vancouver.
In the men's field, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko has been away from the sport but hopes to defend his title in Vancouver. Former world champions Jeff Buttle, of Canada, and Stephane Lambiel, of Switzerland, have retired, leaving Brian Joubert of France one of the key competitors to watch. Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir, both return from Torino, looking to improve on their 4th and 5th place finishes. The defending U.S. champion, Jeremy Abbott will look to follow up his stellar 2008-2009 season with a solid Olympic showing.
Also returning to Olympic competition, will be the tremendous duo of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, looking to finish one step higher than their silver finish in Torino.
Fire on ice
While the figure skating world has seen a considerable amount of change in persona, the sports of speed skating and short track return many familiar names. The U.S. will return two of their top golden stars from Torino, Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick. Add to those, rising 19-year-old star, Trevor Marsicano, and the Americans will look to burn up the ice at the Vancouver oval. On the home front, Canada's speed skating star, Cindy Klassen will look to make her country proud, as she returns from her superb five medal performance in Torino.
In short-track, five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno will headline the American team, and look to become the all time successful American winter athlete with two more medals. He will be joined by rising stars J.R. Celski, who won four medals at the 2009 Worlds, and Katherine Reutter, who will look to become the first American to win a female short track medal since
The chase for hockey gold
No individual or team will experience the kind of pressure during the Olympics that the Canadian hockey team will experience in Vancouver. Canadians will settle for nothing but gold in their "own" sport on home ice. In 2002, the men's team won it's first gold in 50 years, while the women's team followed with gold of their own. In Torino, the women defended their title, but the men finished with a disappointing seventh. The pressure will fall squarely on the shoulders of NHL MVP Sidney Crosby to deliver Canada to the promised land. It could be the star's only Olympic appearance, as it is unclear whether or not the NHL will allow its players to compete in future Games.
The debut of ski cross
The curtain will be raised on the sport of ski cross at the Vancouver Games. The sport puts alpine skiers into a fast-paced, unpredictable, head-to-head racing environment. Among the names to watch in this inaugural Olympic season will be Daron Rahlves of the U.S. He retired from alpine skiing after Torino, but could make his fourth Olympic appearance in Vancouver as he transitions to the new sport.
Snowboarding capital of the world
The U.S. will look to dominate the snowboarding world once again in Vancouver. In Torino, the U.S. won seven out of 18 snowboarding medals awarded (including three of six golds). The core of that dominant team will return in Vancouver. Among the top names expected to appear are the 2006 Olympic halfpipe champion Shaun White and women's halfpipe champ Hannah Teter. Other key components to the formidable U.S. squad include 2006 Olympic halfpipe silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler, defending snowboard cross Olympic champion Seth Wescott and the 2006 Olympic snowboard cross silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis. The U.S. will look to improve on their leading, 14 all-time Olympic snowboarding medals.
