USA Atop Medal Count At 2010 Winter Olympics

Sports News - February 16th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

As of Tuesday, the United States leads the medal count at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Bronze medals have helped it pull to the front with eight overall because other countries have more golds and silvers. Switzerland is currently in the lead with three golds, and Germany has the most silvers (three).

The Germans, who were favored to be the top medalist by Bodog, is in second with five.

The Americans have gotten a big boost from several athletes who weren't projected to medal at all.

After a rocky year-and-a-half toiling away on the slopes, Bode Miller returned to the U.S. team to compete in alpine skiing, and upset the Olympic Betting Odds with a bronze in the downhill. Miller told reporters that even though he was shut out of the podium in competitive skiing in 2009, he shouldn't be counted as an underdog in the race.

"That's a completely ridiculous idea at the Olympics. Everyone is on the radar," Miller told the Associated Press on Friday before the games began. "I'm prepared and fired up. Hopefully it pops up on the radar here and there."

He finished in third with 1:54.40, just .02 away from Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal for silver.

Apolo Anton Ohno became the U.S.' all-time winningest winter athlete, tying Bonnie Blair with his sixth medal overall. He did it by taking the silver in the 1500m short track, upsetting a trio of Koreans who were all favored ahead of him. A messy spill at the very end of the race allowed him to slip into second place and remain there for the final stretch.

"It feels good," Ohno told the USA Today after the race. "Only one Korean and two Americans on the podium. That's never happened before. So, for me, a historical night on so many counts."

Lindsay Vonn was considered America's best chance at boosting the medal lead prior to opening ceremonies, but she has yet to compete because of sloppy conditions on the course. Battling a sore shin, she was able to get a training run in on Monday, and posted the fastest time of any competitor. But she still experienced some soreness because of 'bumpy conditions' on the course, and will have to fight through five races when it's all said and done.

The Americans have captured gold in snowboarding and freestyle skiing, and are tied with France and South Korea for second-most golds behind the Swiss. They face the Switzerland National Hockey team on Tuesday in the opening group rounds. They are favored by two goals over the Swiss, who are seventh in the current International Ice Hockey Federation standings. The U.S. is fifth.

The Americans' gold count is likely to grow after at least one of Vonn's races (likely the combine), a halfpipe run by Shaun White, and Shani Davis' run in the 1000m speed skating competition. All three are favored to win those competitions, according to Olympic Betting Lines found at Bodog.

The Chinese took a surprising gold in pairs figure skating on Monday when two Russian teams who were favored crashed unexpectedly. It was the first time since 1964 that a Russian pair didn't capture gold. The startling results actually kept the soviets off the podium altogether. Instead, Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao won the gold for China, it's only gold of the tournament thus far. Countrymates Qing Pang and Jian Tong took the silver.

Only 20 countries have medaled at all so far. Russia is tied with Austria and Croatia for dead last with only one bronze.