Canada starts strong in Sochi
...this is a test. this is only an olympic blog test. do not be alarmed. do not summon chechnyans ...
SOCHI – Sixteen years ago, when the ballyhhoed Canadian hockey team departed Nagano without a medal, that nation's critics decried its Olympic failures.
Canada left Japan with just 6 gold and 15 overall medals, disappointing numbers for a country where winter sports are beloved. Realizing that Vancouver was going to be a strong contender for the 2010 Games it eventually landed, the Canadian government re-invested in its winter-sports programs.
Four years later at Salt lake City, Canada's totals improved slightly to 7 and 17. They did so again at Torino, rising to 7 gold and 24 medals.
Then, at Vancouver, came the breakout. The home team won more gold medals than any nation (14) and its overall total of 26 was topped only by Germany (30) and the U.S. (37).
Now here at Sochi, based on an admittedly early sample, no one would be surprised if Canada wins the 2014 Winter Olympics medal race.
As of Tuesday, thanks to strong showings in extreme sports and short-track, the Canadians had more gold (4) and overall (9) medals than any other nation.