Sidney Crosby's game−winning goal in overtime Sunday night in the gold−medal final of men's hockey against the United States was the exclamation point to two weeks of exciting Olympic action at the 2010 Vancouver games. An Olympics that started on a somber note with the tragic death of Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvilli in a luge practice run gone awry ended in jubilation for the hometown fans, who had been longing for hockey gold ever since Canada last took first in the event eight years ago.
While Kumaritashvilli's death and Crosby's goal bookmarked the Games, many other intriguing performances headlined the fortnight. And don't let NBC's American−centric coverage fool you; while the United States did lead the world in the medal count with 37 total medals, some international countries also had standout performances, including Germany with 30 medals — good for second place overall — and the host country Canada, which led all countries with 14 gold medals.
With that in mind, the Daily looks at five of the most impressive performances from competitors who weren't wearing the red, white and blue (unless they were French) at the Vancouver games.
1. Swedish women's curling: The Swedish women's curling team dispatched Canada 7−6 in the final to earn its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event. The Swedes rallied from a 6−4 deficit to push the match into an extra 11th end, and ultimately won on skipper Annette Norberg's strategically placed shot. Despite Canada's home−ice advantage and Canadian skipper Cheryl Bernard's attempts to carry her team to victory, the Swedes were able to prevail on the world's biggest stage.
2. Wang Meng: This 24−year−old Chinese speedskater continued her dominance on the short track once again, taking three gold medals in Vancouver — the 500− and 1,000−meter races individually, and the 3,000−meter relay. Wang has now won six medals in the two winter games that she has participated in, including four golds (her other gold came in 2006 in Torino in the 500−meter sprint), making her the most decorated Chinese Winter Olympian of all time. The China Daily reported on Monday that Wang was considering retiring, something that her competition surely looks forward to, as her abilities on the track are unparalleled by any other female skater in the world.
3. Marit Bjoergen: Wang's three gold medals in Vancouver were matched by only one other athlete — Norway's Marit Bjoergen, a cross−country skier who took gold in the woman's individual sprint, 15−kilometer pursuit and a relay event, as well as a silver in the 30−kilometer event and a bronze in the 10−kilometer freestyle event.
The 29−year old Bjoergen's five medals in five events in Vancouver were redeeming for an athlete who was able to only earn one medal in both Torino four years ago and Salt Lake City in 2002. Now with seven total medals to her credit, Bjoergen will return to Norway a superstar.
4. Didier Defago: For most Americans, the name Didier Defago does not exactly ring a bell, but when this Swiss skier blazed down the men's downhill track in a time of 1:54:31 — good enough for the gold medal — he became the first Swiss skier since 1988 to bring an Olympic Alpine gold back to the skiing−crazed country. Defago also in Vancouver became the oldest skier in Olympic history to take home downhill gold, at the ripe age of 32 — proving that unlike Swiss cheese, his skiing game has few holes.
5. Canadian men's hockey: The crowd at Canada Hockey Place was on its feet. There was less than a minute left in regulation, and the Canadian men's hockey team was about to win its first gold medal in eight years and redeem itself for an embarrassing finish out of the medals in 2006.
But then, in a shocking turn of events, American Zach Parise tied the game 2−2, sending it into overtime and the Canadian fans into disbelief. The talented Canadian side was able to endure, however, and 7:40 into overtime, Crosby took a give−and−go from Jarome Iginla to score on U.S. netminder Ryan Miller for the gold, turning Canada Hockey Place, with its thousands of Canadian hockey fans, into a frenzied celebration.
The fans could breathe a sigh of relief. They may not have topped the Americans in the medal count, but at least the national pastime was secure.
