This just in from the U.S. Olympic Committee, and I was intrigued by all the facts. Like the fact that five of the 216 Olympians named to the team are 5’0” tall! Read on for more good dinner-party conversation tidbits.

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The USOC today announced its team members for competition at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. Team USA consists of 216 athletes, including 123 men and 93 women.

Among the 216 members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team, 31 have won Olympic medals in previous Winter Games, with a total of 48 Olympic medals among them (12 gold, 20 silver and 16 bronze).

Team USA features one five-time Olympic medalist, three three-time medalists and seven two-time medalists. Short track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash.) leads the way as the most decorated returning Olympian. The two-time Olympic athlete has earned five medals: two gold, one silver and two bronze.

Ohno is currently tied with long track speedskater Eric Heiden for the most medals won by a male U.S. athlete at a Winter Games (five), and Ohno is one medal away from tying the record for the most medals won by any U.S. athlete in a Winter Games, a record held by long track speedskater Bonnie Blair (six). 

Twenty-four years separate the oldest and youngest 2010 U.S. Olympians. Curlers Tracy Sachtjen (Lodi, Wis.) and John Benton (St. Michael, Minn.) were named to their first Olympic team at 40 years young. The youngest members of Team USA are 16 years old: freestyle aerialist Ashley Caldwell (Hamilton, Va.), and figure skaters Mirai Nagasu (Arcadia, Calif.) and Caydee Denney (Wesley Chapel, Fla.).

More fun facts about the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team:

·         Thirty-five states are represented, including 21 from Minnesota and 19 from New York. Three hail from the wintery state of Florida.

·         Bobsledder Chuck Berkeley (Pittsfield, Mass.) checks in as the tallest member of Team USA at 6'5". Five athletes are tied as the shortest members of Team USA at 5'0" including Laura Spector (biathlon/Lenox, Mass.), Caydee Denney (figure skating/Wesley Chapel, Fla.), Amanda Evora (figure skating/Sugar Land, Texas), Erika Lawler (ice hockey/Fitchburg, Mass.), and Michelle Roark (freestyle skiing - moguls/Denver, Colo.). 

·         Team USA features one set of twins in hockey players Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.).

·         23 members of Team USA have children; there are 17 dads and six moms, including alpine skier Sarah Schleper (Vail, Colo.).

·         Six U.S. athletes have ties to the military, of which five are bobsled athletes:

o        Serving in the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program are biathlete SGT Jeremy Teela (Heber City, Utah), bobsled pilot SGT John Napier (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and bobsled athlete Chris Fogt (Alpine, Utah)

o        Serving in the U.S. National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program are bobsled pilot SGT Shauna Rohbock (Park City, Utah / Utah Army National Guard) and bobsled athlete Mike Kohn (Chantilly, Va. / also a Sergeant in the Virginia Army National Guard)

o        Formerly serving in the U.S. Army National Guard was bobsled pilot Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah). 

The 2010 U.S. Olympic Team roster may still be adjusted due to injury, illness or exceptional circumstances up to the technical meetings for each sport.