Canada and Austria, among others, had their best all-time showing, but Germany and the United States again won the most medals at a share-the-wealth Turin Olympics that featured more countries winning medals and more in double figures than ever before.
11 countries won at least 10 medals, the previous mark was 10 countries at Nagano in 1998. And Twenty-six countries, including first-time winners Slovakia and Latvia, earned at least one medal, up from a high of 24 in 1998 and 2002.
Germany led in Turin in overall medals with 29 and golds with 11, while the Americans won 25 medals overall, nine of them gold. The Germans and Americans repeated their one-two finish from Salt Lake City four years ago, although both fell short of their 2002 totals.
U.S. Olympic Committee chief Jim Scherr, said "This has been an incredible performance," and added "It's probably our fault that it's been viewed a little less than that."
The team's performance lent some credibility to Canada's "Own the Podium" plan to finish No. 1 when it hosts the next games in Vancouver in 2010. Canada was among the major success stories, bettering its record 2002 haul of 17 medals with 24 in Turin, including a games-high five by speedskater Cindy Klassen.
It was most proud of a record 14 medals in Alpine skiing, including a medal sweep in the men's slalom on Saturday. Austria also had the best showing in its long Winter Games history with 23 medals overall, nine of them gold, despite a police raid and unannounced doping tests that targeted some of its cross-country skiers and biathletes.
Alpine director Hans Pum said, "This is the greatest Olympics ever for us," others with their best Winter Games included Sweden with 14 medals, and China and South Korea with 11 each.
Any disappointment was erased on the final day when Giorgio di Centa won gold in the 50km cross-country race. The Italians, despite competing at home before zealous and imploring crowds, was shut out in high-profile Alpine skiing and won only 11 medals in all, far off their Winter Games best of 20 in Lillehammer in 1994.
With 19 medals in Turin, Norway's overall total reached 283, but only two of the latest medals were gold; by himself, biathlon star Ole Einar Bjoerndalen had been expected to win several golds, the games were frustrating for Norway, even though it extended its lead in all-time winter medals.
Latvia's first winter medal, a bronze, went to Martins Rubenis in luge, and Slovakia won its first winter medal thanks to a brand-new Olympic sport, snowboardcross, in which Radoslav Zidek took silver.
Thirteen nations from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean were among the 80 competing in Turin, but the all-time shutout streak for those regions continued. Although more countries won medals, Australia was the only one from the Southern Hemisphere, with a gold in moguls for Canadian-born Dale Begg-Smith.
By: Kane Langford
Turks.us