COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As the Vancouver Olympics approach, NBC 4 Sports' Jerod Smalley runs down his top ten things to watch in Vancouver:

A look at BC Place and Canada Hockey Place; two of the venues for the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

I wonder how many people in Central Ohio remember the name Lee Ann Parsley, because they should. She won gold in the first ever women's skeleton competition at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She was a firefighter and actually a grad of my college (Marshall). The good news...we may have another Central Ohio medal threat this year in Vancouver. I'm watching for these ten reasons.

10. Well, skeleton. It's incredibly dangerous to go head first down a bobsled track on a piece of metal, but by God these people do it for medals!

9. Bode Miller: If he's focused and shows up, we'll win at least one gold medal in downhill skiing (I'd like to suggest uphill skiing).

8. Alissa Czisny: She was last year's national figure skating champ, and we in TV know women's figure skating is the highest rated TV event of the Games.

7. Ted Ligety: Maybe my favorite name from the '06 Games and certainly memorable (slalom champ). He's back.

6. Apolo Ohno: Ok, so he won Dancing With The Stars, too? Jeez that seems unfair. Arguably the fastest skater in the world.

5. USA Hockey: Who will the Americans even put on this team? To compete with Canada, Sweden and the Czechs among others will be a chore. Here's hoping Blue Jacket RJ Umberger gets a call.

4. Rick Nash: Our CBJ Captain has been a stud in the past for team Canada in international competitions and craves a big spotlight like this.

3. Curling: I mean, it's gotta be the coolest Olympic sport...possibly the only one that could be played well while drinking.

2. Snowboarders: From carrot-topped Shaun White to Hannah Teter, let's just say these athletes are hooked up a little different. They're just, as the kids say, "chill." And good too, which leads me to...

1. Louie Vito! He's our lone Central Ohio hope for medals in these Games. Among the top halfpipe snowboarders in the world, and another Dancing With The Stars contestant. He's from Bellefontaine and grew up skiing the bunny slopes at Mad River Mountain. It would be sweet if he could score a medal in Vancouver.