Germany (21) 9 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze (biathlon, Nordic combined, luge, speedskating, cross country, bobsled)
USA (18) 7 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze (snowboard, speed skating, downhill, freestyle, short track, ice dancing, hockey, bobsled)
Norway (18) 2 gold, 8 silver, 8 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, freestyle, nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboarding, downhill)
Austria (16) 8 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze (downhill, Nordic combined, luge, ski jumping)
Russia (15) 7 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, figure skating, luge, speed skating, ice dancing)
Canada (14) 3 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze (freestyle, speed skating, x country, short track, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled, hockey)
Italy (9) 4 gold, 5 bronze (xcountry, luge, speed skating, bobsled)
Switzerland (8) 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (downhill, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled)
South Korea(7) 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze (short track, speed skating)
Sweden (6) 2 gold, 2 Sivler, 2 bronze (x country, downhill, biathlon, hockey)
France (6) 3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze (downhill, freestyle, biathlon, snowboarding)
China (7) 1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (figure skating, short track, speed skating)
Netherlands (6) 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze (speed skating)
Finland (5) 2 silver, 3 bronze (ski jumping, snowboarding, x country, freestyle, nordic combined)
Estonia (3) 3 gold (xcountry)
Croatia (2) 1 gold, 1 silver (downhill)
Czech Republic (2) 2 silver (x country)
Ukraine (2) 2 bronze (biathlon, ice dancing)
Australia (1) 1 gold (freestyle)
Bulgaria (1) 1 silver (short track)
Great Britain (1) 1 silver (skeleton)
Slovakia (1) 1 silver (snowboarding)
Latvia(1) 1 bronze (luge)

Women’s bobsled

Gold Sandra Kiriasis, Anja Schneiderheinze Germany
Silver Shauna Rohbock, Valerie Fleming United States
Bronze Gerda Weissensteiner, Jennifer Isacco Italy

Nordic Combined, Sprint

Gold Felix Gottwald Austria
Silver Magnus Moan Norway
Bronze Georg Hettich Germany

Biathlon, Men’s 4×7.5km Relay

Gold Germany
Silver Russia
Bronze France

This morning when I was writing about this race, I just knew this was what was going to happen. After a week of talking about grudge match and talking as though Chad and Shani were the only two in the race, who wins the gold medal? ITALY! Congratulations to all the winners.

Gold Enrico Fabris Italy
Silver Shani Davis United States
Bronze Chad Hedrick United States

There are some big events that will be aired on the Olympics tonight. And, yes, American Idol will be on at the same time. So, here’s what you’ll be missing if you choose to watch American Idol.

The 1500m speedskating “grudge” match between Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis. Here’s hoping all the hype doesn’t cost them both a medal chance. I may be rooting for Joey Cheek.

Ladies figure skating short program. This may determine who wins the gold. Will any of the ladies establish an insurmountable lead?

Women’s bobsledding. There are two American teams in the hunt.

Freestyle skiing– aerials. The qualifying rounds have been delayed twice for weather reasons. Will they finally compete today?

The men and women took 4 out of 6 available medals in today’s alpine events: women’s super G and men’s giant slalom.

Michaela Dorfmeister and Alexandra Meissnitzer took gold and bronze in the super G.

Benjamin Raich and Hermann Maier took gold and bronze in the giant slalom.

It’s so interesting to me when there’s a sport that is so dominated by one country. Austria has 9 out of the 21 alpine medals that have been awarded. Croatia is the country behind them in the alpine medal count, and they’ve won 3. That’s dominance.

Clearly, there were those of us (including myself) who voted our hearts, not who we really think will win the medal count. While not impossible, it’s highly unlikely the U.S. will win the medal count, and yet, I voted for them. And Italy and China? Really? Austria’s made a real comeback today, so that’s becoming an increasingly smart vote. Thanks to all who voted. Sometimes it’s fun just to vote for the country you love– even if you know they’re more than a long shot.

Which country do you think will win the medal count?
Norway: 16% (85)
Germany: 18% (93)
United States: 30% (157)
Russia: 7% (35)
Canada: 20% (107)
Austria: 0% (2)
South Korea: 2% (10)
Switzerland: 1% (5)
China: 1% (7)
Italy: 2% (8)
Other: 4% (22)
Total Votes : 531

Germany (18) 7 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze (biathlon, Nordic combined, luge, speedskating, cross country, bobsled)
Norway (17) 2 gold, 7 silver, 8 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, freestyle, nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboarding, downhill)
Austria (15) 7 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze (downhill, Nordic combined, luge, ski jumping)
USA (15) 7 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze (snowboard, speed skating, downhill, freestyle, short track, ice dancing, hockey)
Russia (14) 7 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, figure skating, luge, speed skating, ice dancing)
Canada (14) 3 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze (freestyle, speed skating, x country, short track, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled, hockey)
Switzerland (8) 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (downhill, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled)
South Korea(7) 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze (short track, speed skating)
Italy (7) 3 gold, 4 bronze (xcountry, luge, speed skating)
Sweden (6) 2 gold, 2 Sivler, 2 bronze (x country, downhill, biathlon, hockey)
China (7) 1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (figure skating, short track, speed skating)
France (6) 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze (downhill, freestyle, biathlon, snowboarding)
Netherlands (6) 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze (speed skating)
Finland (5) 2 silver, 3 bronze (ski jumping, snowboarding, x country, freestyle, nordic combined)
Estonia (3) 3 gold (xcountry)
Croatia (2) 1 gold, 1 silver (downhill)
Czech Republic (2) 2 silver (x country)
Ukraine (2) 2 bronze (biathlon, ice dancing)
Australia (1) 1 gold (freestyle)
Bulgaria (1) 1 silver (short track)
Great Britain (1) 1 silver (skeleton)
Slovakia (1) 1 silver (snowboarding)
Latvia(1) 1 bronze (luge)

The Russians chalked up another gold when Tatyana Navka and Roman Kostomarov won the ice dancing competition. But Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, of the United States, brought home a silver, the first ice dancing medal for the United States since 1976, and only the second ice dancing medal ever. It is also, thus far, America’s only figure skating medal. Tanith, it may be recalled, was granted U.S. citizenship by the passage of a special law, in order to allow her to compete in this Olympics.

The bronze medal went to Yelena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov of Ukraine.

The Kerrs, who skated to the music of the Porridge Men, finished 10th.

The USA will be bringing home a bronze in women’s hockey. It’s not the gold, but, as someone wrote in a comment on this blog– it’s no piece of lettuce. Contratulations, USA! The US women’s team defeated Finland 4-0 today in the bronze medal match.

And in an update: Canada (of course) took the gold, and Sweden took the silver.

It seems like screaming at the top of your lungs is just as important as releasing the stone correctly.

Men’s downhill Giant Slalom

Gold Benjamin Raich Austria
Silver Joel Chenal France
Bronze Hermann Maier Austria

One begins to wonder if Ted Ligety will be the only U.S. medal.

NBC will broadcast the women’s hockey gold medal round starting at 1 p.m. today (CST). Canada will compete against Sweden. Will Sweden be able to pull of another upset?

Also being broadcast at that time– women’s bobsledding. Americans Vonetta Flowers and Jean Prahm won the gold in Salt Lake City. Will they have the same success today?

If you’re home today for President’s Day, you might want to check out women’s hockey, coming up live on MSNBC at 9:30. The bronze medal round pits the USA (who was expected to be fighting it out with Canada for a medal of a different color) against Finland. Hopefully, the USA can hold onto a medal, despite their surprising loss to Sweden in the semi-finals.

Emily Hughes has a new title– delivery person. Hughes and Irina Slutskaya share the same Manhattan-based designer Tania Bass, so it seemed only natural for Bass to ask Emily to make a special delivery to Turin– Slutskaya’s Olympic outfit. Emily hand-delivered the outfit to Slutskaya upon arriving in Turin. What a nice gesture!

Germany (18) 7 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze (biathlon, Nordic combined, luge, speedskating, cross country, bobsled)
Norway (16) 2 gold, 7 silver, 7 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, freestyle, nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboarding, downhill)
USA (13) 7 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze (snowboard, speed skating, downhill, freestyle, short track)
Russia (13) 6 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze (biathlon, xcountry, figure skating, luge, speed skating)
Canada (13) 2 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze (freestyle, speed skating, x country, short track, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled)
Austria (10) 4 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze (downhill, Nordic combined, luge, ski jumping)
Switzerland (8) 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (downhill, figure skating, skeleton, snowboard, bobsled)
South Korea(7) 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze (short track, speed skating)
Italy (7) 3 gold, 4 bronze (xcountry, luge, speed skating)
China (7) 1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze (figure skating, short track, speed skating)
Netherlands (6) 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze (speed skating)
Sweden (6) 2 gold, 1 Sivler, 2 bronze (x country, downhill, biathlon)
France (5) 3 gold, 2 bronze (downhill, freestyle, biathlon, snowboarding)
Finland (5) 2 silver, 3 bronze (ski jumping, snowboarding, x country, freestyle, nordic combined)
Estonia (3) 3 gold (xcountry)
Croatia (2) 1 gold, 1 silver (downhill)
Czech Republic (2) 2 silver (x country)
Australia (1) 1 gold (freestyle)
Bulgaria (1) 1 silver (short track)
Great Britain (1) 1 silver (skeleton)
Slovakia (1) 1 silver (snowboarding)
Latvia(1) 1 bronze (luge)
Ukraine (1) 1 bronze (biathlon)