US OLYMPIC SUCCESS, WHY?

The US is poised to win the Metal totals for the 2010 Winter Olympic games, unseating long term Winter Olympic powerhouses like Norway, Germany and Russia. Not only that the US will win a record amount of metals earned in an Winter Olympics. What was the key to the US Olympic success?  Was it luck? Or being near home, as the Olympics are held just north of the border?  No, It's rather simple, the US men and women Winter Olympians have had, well their hands, in just about every Olympic event and venue pots.

For example, The US four man bob sled (pictured above) just unseated long term bob sled power and legend German Andre Lange (team in white pictured above) winning their first gold in that event in 68 years.  It's that sort of story that has been repeated over and over by American men and women in old and new events and in venues these past two weeks especially where American success has been rare if non existent.

A quick crash course on powerhouse nation's typical Winter Olympic strengths;

Germany:  Luge, Bob sled, Biathalon, Speed skating

Norway, Nordic, Cross Country Skiing, Apline

Russia, Figure skating, Cross country, Hockey, Biathalon

Note that these nations may have success in other venues, but usually bring in their haul of metals in these areas. The US record success in The Winter Olympics and taking the nation metal count has been because they, unlike these nations, have had success and taken metals;

A.    In nearly every venue;  Speed skating, short track, moguls, snowboarding, Alpine, Luge and Bob Sled, figure skating and hockey and the list goes on.  No other nation has had that sort of reach into the wide range of Olympic events.

B.   Success by men and women; both genders have won all sorts of metals.  Gold in male figure skating, silver in pair's ice dancing.  Gold in male four man bob sled, metal in women's two person bob sled.  Gold by Bode and Vonn in marquee Alpine events, Silver in short track women's race, silver and bronze in male short track.  Women took silver in Hockey, the men play for Gold in Hockey and the list goes on.

C.  New events and New venues;  The US dominates new Olympic Events; Moguls, snowboard cross, half pipe, short track speed skating and other new Combined events have had a lot of Americans watching the 'Red, White and Blue being hoisted.' White's dominance in the half pipe is the best example of US dominance in these new 'X' type games.  Americans have also received metals in events where they never won like the Nordic Combine and ended nearly a 7 decade famine for gold in the four man bobsled. Rarely did one see Germans, Norwegians or Russians even compete and espicially challenge for the podium positions for these events.    

This will be the most successful US Winter Olympic team of all time. The simple reason is that their success has been far and wide, by men and women in just about every venue of the beautiful Canadian Rockies!  Congrats and you have the world's attention!