Olympic Wrapup

VANCOUVER --- Lindsey Vonn will have more memories of these Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games than most.

Before she even landed in Canada, she had landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The folks here were dubbing the Games "Vonn-couver'' since she was vying for five Olympic gold medals in alpine skiing. Then she revealed she had a shin injury. She endured weather delays. She won a gold medal. She crashed. She missed a gate. She claimed a bronze medal.

Now, she is saying goodbye to Vonn-couver.

And through it all, she is able to smile.

"It's my third Olympic Games and I'm proud to be part of any Olympic team,'' Vonn said. "It was so cool to watch the American flag go up so many times.

"For me as an athlete and as a spectator,'' she added, "it's been very inspiring.''

After the final day of competition at these Winter Games, the United States leads the total medal count with 37, nine gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. Germany is second with 30 (10-13-7) and host Canada leads the gold-medal tally with 14 and has garnered a total of 26 medals. In two previous home Olympic Games, in 1976 in Montreal and in 1988 in Calgary, Canada did not earn a single gold medal, so these Games showed a marked improvement for the home team as well.

Prior to these Winter Games, the United States Olympic Committee did not make any medal predictions as it had at previous Olympic Games. But the medal tally has exceeded anyone's expectations. The previous largest medal haul for the U.S. Olympic team at a Winter Games was 34 medals in Salt Lake City in 2002. That year, Germany earned the most medals with 36 and Norway led the way in gold medals with 13.  

The United States earned one more medal Sunday in the men's hockey final, in which the Americans faced off in a much-anticipated matchup against Canada.

"We had a lot of projections,'' said USOC chief executive officer, Scott Blackmun, in a news conference Saturday. "But those projections changed almost on a daily basis.''

Blackmun added that these Olympic Winter Games have been "fantastic'' for the Americans both on and off the field, noting that the United States did "even better than we thought we would.''

The United States had many reasons to celebrate these Winter Games.

The U.S. got off to a great start when Hannah Kearney claimed America's first gold medal of these Games in freestyle skiing. And it was pretty much uphill after that.

In figure skating, Evan Lysacek won the first Olympic gold medal in the men's event since 1988, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White gave the United States its second consecutive Olympic silver medal in ice dancing.

Snowboarder Shaun White successfully defended his Olympic gold medal, as did Seth Wescott. Steve Holcomb piloted the "Night Train'' to gold in the bobsled, ending a 62-year drought for the Americans in the four-man event. Speed skater Shani Davis collected a gold and silver. And Bode Miller redeemed himself with three medals, including his first Olympic gold.

Part of the reason for the athletes' success here was due to the proximity of Vancouver to the United States. Many athletes could train here in the years leading up to the Winter Games, and because the Games were so close, many athletes' families and friends could make the trip to support them.

Bill Demong, who claimed the first U.S. Olympic gold medal in Nordic combined at these Games, said he had been making trips to train in Vancouver about three years ago. Making these Winter Games all the more special for Demong is that he was the flag bearer for the United States in the Closing Ceremony Sunday.

"Everything was dialed in ahead of time,'' Demong said of pre-Games preparations.

For the past two months, Demong had been making preparations of another kind. He had purchased an engagement ring for his girlfriend, Katie Kocznyski, a former skeleton racer.

Following the medals ceremony in Whistler, Demong asked friend Johnny Spillane, a three-time silver medalist at these Olympic Winter Games, about popping the question.

"I asked Johnny, do you think this is too cheesy?" Demong said.

Spillane answered no.

Koczynski answered yes.

Vancouver also provided speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, with special memories. Ohno is a native of Federal Way, Wash., about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Vancouver. He learned the speed skating basics in Vancouver and said it was fitting that he became America's most decorated Olympic Winter athlete here. Ohno, 27, now has eight Olympic medals.

"I have come full circle,'' Ohno said. "It feels very complete. It has felt like a home Games for us.''

Even for the athletes who didn't leave the city with the desired Olympic gold medal, these Winter Games were a success. Angela Ruggiero, an Olympic gold medalist in women's hockey in 1998 who earned a silver medal in Vancouver, her remarkable fourth trip to the Winter Games, felt a camaraderie here that she will never forget.

"It's a beautiful city and I would love to come back and visit,'' said Ruggiero, who took countless photos of the Vancouver scenery throughout her stay in the Olympic Village.

But meeting with athletes from around the world, be it in the Olympic Village cafeteria for a brief talk or offering them a high five after an event was one of the highlights for Ruggiero.

"That's what it's all about,'' Ruggiero said.

Ruggiero also will be leaving these Winter Games as an International Olympic Committee board member. Ruggiero was selected by her fellow Olympic athletes to serve on the IOC's athletes' commission. Her term will last for eight years and she is now the third American member on the 114-person IOC board. Anita DeFrantz and Jim Easton are the other two American representatives.

One of Ruggiero's goals will be to help her sport develop throughout the world. Olympic women's ice hockey has been dominated by the Americans and the Canadians and said other countries need a little more "boost'' to grow.

For the USOC, for these Games to be so positive marked an important turning point for the organization as a whole. Many USOC officials and athletes talked about the importance of the USOC's relationships with the athletes and the National Governing Bodies for the sports.

"I'm just really proud of our team,'' said Mike Plant, the chef de mission for the United States. "Scott (Blackmun) obviously has a lot of experience and there's been a renewed commitment. We've got to partner with NGBs and have a really strong collaboration with them.''

And if it continues on this path, Vancouver could be the start of a new beginning.

Tags: Angela Ruggiero, Apolo Anton Ohno, Billy Demong, Bode Miller, Charlie White, Evan Lysacek , Hannah Kearney, IOC, Johnny Spillane, Lindsey Vonn, Meryl Davis, Scott Blackmun, Seth Wescott, Shani Davis, Shaun White, Steve Holcomb, USOC, USOC CEO, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games