Team USA Surpasses Expectations in Vancouver

Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons, Noelle Neu

When the Winter Olympics began in Vancouver last week, it was the Canadian hosts who held high hopes and expectations to win the most medals. After more than a week of competition, however, Canada sits a disappointing fourth in overall medals, tied with Norway and behind the United States, Germany, and France. 

Their six medals are less than half of the United States’ fifteen. Team USA’s push for the lead in the medal standings was given a boost on Wednesday when it picked up three gold and six overall medals. The six medals were the most the U. S. has won on a single day in Winter Olympics history. The push past Germany for first place was led by Lindsey Vonn, Shani Davis, and Shaun White.

Vonn, who has long been dominant in her sport, won her first gold medal in the women’s downhill. Vonn and fellow American Julia Mancuso, the silver medalist in the downhill, both overcame injuries that had threatened to limit their chances to medal. 

In 1,000 meter speedskating, Shani Davis repeated his gold medal performance from the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. He was also joined on podium by teammate Chad Hedrick, who won the bronze medal. Hedrick won two medals at the 2006 games but had not been expected to compete for a medal in the 1,000 meters, an event that is not considered his strength.

Shaun White also won gold in the halfpipe just as he had in 2006. White easily defeated his nearest competition with a score of 48.4. However, even with victory assured during the final round, White continued to be aggressive. “I just felt like I didn’t come all the way to Vancouver not to pull out the big guns,” White told NBC. White’s win continues the American domination of the halfpipe since it became an Olympic event in 1998. Since then, Americans have won 12 of the event’s 21 medals.

Apolo Anton Ohno, the short track speedskater, will have a chance to pass Bonnie Blair as the most decorated U. S. Olympian ever. Ohno won the 1,500 meter last Saturday after trailing in third for most of the race. A crash allowed Ohno, who first competed in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, to win his sixth gold medal. He has advanced past the preliminaries in the 1,000 meter and will look for his seventh gold next week.

Last Tuesday was the first day of the Vancouver Olympics that an American did not a win gold medal. The United States came into these Olympics with high expectations and has thus far surpassed them. There is more than a week left, but whether the United States can maintain its four medal lead over Germany is no guarantee.