The 2006 Winter Olympic Games just wrapped up in Turin, Italy after its opening on January 26, 2006. The games featured 84 medal events in 15 disciplines, including the debut of team pursuit speed skating and snowboard cross. The games ended in the same manner in which it began: played with heart and conviction. While many criticize these games for being low on the ratings scale or a lackluster performance by Team USA, the efforts by the athletes and magical conclusion for the host country will not likely be forgotten.
The games were not exactly the most heart-pounding. There was no ice skating hullabaloo, nor any miracle moment on the hockey ring.
Naturally, the Olympics always include some amount of controversy. One could not tune into NBC without hearing about top U.S. alpine skier, Bode Miller. The much-hyped skier, not able to live down the comments he made on 60 minutes regarding skiing after getting drunk the night after, did not win a single medal. This seemed to haunt the entirety of Team USA in Turin, for all the big names failed to come through in the clutch.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky also brought with him residual controversy from his alleged involvement in an NHL gambling ring; though Team Canada denied that this affected their play and morale, the Canadian hockey team was knocked out of the games by Russia in the semi-finals.
Despite the empty seats and low ratings, many Olympians now return home triumphant. A record of 80 countries attending these games, though some like Jamaica and Puerto Rico did not participate. Germany led the way with the most medals, 29 in all with 11 gold medals, followed closely by the United States with 25 overall and 9 gold medals. The United States won 4 out of the 6 medals in Halfpipe snowboarding, and Canadian speed skater Cindy Klassen was the athlete with the most medals with 5 total.
Those who served notice in Turin will be remembered in the annals of Olympic history, but the games will also remember many of the world’s most distinguished athletes that will exit the Olympic stage for the last time. These include names such as Chris Chelios, 44, the oldest and one of the best players on the American hockey team; Austrian skier Michaela Dorfmeister, 32, who won 14 out of the 30 event in alpine skiing; and German Georg Hackl, 39, the most decorated luge athlete in history.
People will wince remembering the failure of the American hockey team, or beam recalling Canada’s first gold medal in curling, but one thing is certain: these games will not soon be forgotten.