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Canada concludes Olympics with thrilling ice hockey win over US

March 01, 2010
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The Vancouver Olympics have concluded with a fitting and exciting result in the final event - an overtime 3-2 victory for host Canada in the men's ice hockey tournament.

Captain Sidney Crosby netted the game winner in the sudden-death extra period Sunday to give Canada the gold medal it wanted the most. Crosby netted the game winner past U.S. goalie Ryan Miller, the tournament MVP. The United States came into the game as the only undefeated team in the event.

The win gives Canada 14 total gold medals, the most of any nation in the history of the Winter Games. The silver medal gives the United States an overall total of 37, also an all-time Winter Olympics record.

Earlier, Norwegian skier Petter Northug won his fourth gold medal of the games by surviving the Olympic men's 50-kilometer classical cross-country race in Whistler, British Columbia. Northug passed German Axel Teichmann in a thrilling sprint finish. The Norwegian crossed the finish line in two hours, five minutes and 35.5 seconds to earn his second gold medal of the Games. Teichmann crossed the finish line 0.3 seconds behind to win the silver medal. Johan Olsson of Sweden took the bronze, one second back.

In all, 258 medals at the 2010 Games were awarded across 86 events. A Winter Olympics record 26 nations won at least one medal.

Canada lived up to its "Own the Podium" pledge with its record 14 gold medals. Canada enjoyed its best Olympics showing, winter or summer, with a total of 26 including 7 silver and 5 bronze.

The United States all-time best 37 medals were made of 9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. Germany finished with 30 total with 10 gold, 13 silver and 7 bronze.

Poor weather plagued many of the outdoor events, most notably Alpine skiing which had half of its 10 events rescheduled. Conditions were marginal during most of the finals.

The death of luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia prior to the opening ceremony hung over the 17-day games. Crashing is common in sliding sports. Death is not.

Organizers built the $104 million sliding complex and its 16-curve track to be the world's fastest, a technically challenging circuit to test the best sliders and produce blistering speeds. It was immediately deemed treacherous and terrifying. Kumaritashvili's accident was one that some say could have been prevented.

But the Olympics also provided many great and lasting highlights for spectators around the world as athletes from their nations excelled.

The closing ceremonies Sunday formally sent the Winter Olympics to Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

American skier Bode Miller redeemed himself after winning no medals four years earlier by claiming his first career gold, in the men's super combined race, plus a silver and a bronze. Miller is now the most decorated U.S. alpine skier ever. Lindsey Vonn was touted a possible five-event medalist. She struggled in most races after winning the downhill gold and taking a bronze in Super-G.

Team USA also ended long Olympic title droughts. Bill Demong won the first U.S. gold in the 86-year history of Olympic Nordic events, topping the individual Nordic combined event. Steven Holcomb piloted his team to the first U.S. four-man bobsled gold medal in 62 years. Evan Lysacek won the men's figure skating competition, the first U.S. gold in the event since 1988.

Apolo Anton Ohno became the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian with eight career short-track speedskating medals, winning a silver and two bronze in Vancouver.

Shaun White defended his halfpipe snowboard title as did Shani Davis in men's 1,000 meter speedskating. Seth Wescott in men's Snowboard Cross and Hannah Kearney in women's freestyle moguls skiing were the other U.S. gold medalists at the games.

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