Most Memorable Moments From Vancouver 2010

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver have officially closed. The torch has now been passed to Sochi, Russia, in anticipation of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But before we look forward, let’s take a look back to the most memorable moments from the Vancouver Games.

1.) Joannie Rochette’s bronze medal performance after her mother’s death

Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette skated a nearly flawless performance just days after finding out her mother had died of a heart attack. After her performance, the entire audience gave her a standing ovation as Rochette bent over in tears. Millions were captivated by her skating, and her moment will be remembered throughout history as one of perseverance and strength.

2.) Death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili

As inspiring a performance as Rochette’s was, it was equally as saddening when news of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili’s death was announced. His death cast a shadow over the Games, and has put the subject of athlete safety and security at the forefront. The IOC has been criticized for pushing for faster tracks.

3.) Canada defeats the U.S. 3-2 in OT to win hockey gold

For Canadians, only one gold medal meant anything to them – hockey. The enormous pressure on Team Canada was alleviated when Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner 7 minutes into overtime. The game will be remembered for years to come, much like the Miracle on Ice is remembered today.

4.) Kim Yu-Na’s skating perfection

Kim Yu-Na’s world record score in figure skating was a performance for the ages. She also gave South Korea their first gold medal in a sport other than speed skating.

5.) Canada’s flawed Opening Ceremony

The broken cauldron that failed to lift out of the ground was a huge embarrassment to Canada. However, they later poked fun at themselves in the Closing Ceremony by having a mime “plug-in” and fix the cauldron.

6.) Apolo Anton Ohno becomes most decorated American Winter Olympian

Apolo Anton Ohno, in possibly his last Olypmics, won a silver and two bronzes in Vancouver to increase his lifetime medal count to 8 and surpassing Bonnie Blair for most by an American in the Winter Olympics.

7.) Shaun White steals the show

Snowboarder Shaun White proved he was the best in the world by not even needing a second run in the finals. With gold already captured, White still went out and stole the show by pulling off his maneuver, the Double McTwist 1260 and ending with a score of 48.6 out of 50. He won the competition by 3.4 points over his nearest competitor.

8.) Sven Kramer’s golden mistake

Sven Kramer had the gold medal in the 10,000-meters final won, along with a new world record. However, Kramer failed to switch lanes during the later part of the race (following his coach’s directions). Kramer was disqualified and lost his world record and gold medal.

9.) American figure skater Evan Lysacek wins gold

Evan Lysacek became the first American figure skater to win gold at the Olympics since Brian Boitano in 1988. Lysacek skated what many consider a flawless free skate to edge Russian Evgeni Plushenko.

10.) The emergence of curling

Many considered curling to be one of the stranger sports in the Olympics. The television coverage it received throughout the Games helped change that opinion. The fact that some curling team members were older also increased its popularity as a sport that anyone can play. Look for curling to become a ratings hit in 2014.