Going for the Gold
Photo Credit: Vancouver2010.com
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February 26, 2010 • written by Kevin Dupuy
Filed under Sports, featured, top story
The 2010 Winter Olympics is currently underway in Vancouver, British Columbia. Athletes from all over the world have traveled to our northern neighbor to compete in athletic challenges ranging from alpine skiing to speed skating. The American team in particular is doing better than it has done in over seventy years.
The Winter games began tragically with the loss of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, died when completing his last official training run on the official olympic 4,500 foot long course. The 21 year old Luger was estimated to be going 88 miles per hour when he was thrown from the course and knocked unconscious. He later died and the course was closed pending an investigation by the Olympic officials.
Team USA is currently in the lead with the medal count. Holding 32 medals, 8 of which are gold, the USA is placed first in the medal count, a feat which has not been achieved since 1932 when the winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York. In the 1932 winter games, the United States won 12 total medals, six of which were gold.
Placing second in the medal count is Germany, the long time winter game champions. The German team has placed first in the medal count for the past 12 years. Germany trails the United States by six medals, however, they are tied for number of gold medals awarded.
The Americans have achieved gold in:
- Men’s Super Combined Alpine Skiing
- Nordic Combined 10km Cross Country
- Men’s Half-pipe Snowboarding
- Men’s Figure Skating
- Men’s 1000m Speed-skating
- Ladies’ downhill Alpine Skiing
- Men’s Snowboard Cross
- Ladies’ Moguls Freestyle Skating
The 2010 winter Olympics can be seen on NBC every night starting at 7pm until the closing ceremonies Sunday, February 28.
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