WINTER OLYMPICS: Germany, Norway and their United States hosts have had the most reason to enjoy the last fortnight in Salt Lake City. Heading into the two final events last night, Germany led with 35 medals, including a dozen golds. Norway were second with 11 gold and 22 overall. The United States had 33, with 10 gold.
For many nations, the hauls are unprecedented. Germany has a record number of medals for any country, and already exceeds its Nagano total by six. Veteran speedskater Claudia Pechstein added another gold with a world record effort to win the 5,000 meters and become the nation's best winter Olympian.
"It's just so amazing," she said.
By far the biggest jump was that of the United States. Its previous best was 13 medals at the last two Olympics, and now, boosted by the home cheers, it more than doubled to an incredible 33.
Norway has been as steady as ever. Ever since failing to win a gold at the 1988 Calgary games, the Scandinavian nation has hovered around the 10-gold mark and now has 11 ahead of the women's cross country, in which Bente Skari and Anita Moen are expected be close to the medals.
This year, it was easier to make more countries happy since the IOC has a long tradition of adding events to its schedule. It jumped from 68 events in Nagano four years ago to 78 now, adding 30 medals. The first Winter Olympics, the Chamonix games of 1924, had just 14 events.
Even with the added possibilities, some nations still take dramatic plunges.
Russia took most gold at Lillehammer in 1994. Going into the final day here it has just five and its hockey players had to be content with bronze on Saturday.
Such is the disappointment and frustration that Russia at one point threatened to pull out, claiming biased judging and refereeing against its athletes.
Protest and scandal long overshadowed the French team too, with its team chief, Didier Gailhaguet, and its figure skating judge, Marie-Reine le Gougne, in the midst of the figure skating scandal.
On Saturday, the skies were much brighter as Jean-Pierre Vidal and Sebastien Amiez took the top two places in the slalom, the closing Alpine event. It brought France's total to four gold and 11 overall, two better than its best result in Nagano.
Canada's most famous gold was for its figure skating pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, who finished second behind the Russian pair but still got gold after Le Gougne said she had been pressured to vote for the Russians.
At least, Canada got gold.
It looks like Sweden will finish without a single first place for the second Olympics in a row. And when its vaunted hockey team was beaten by Belarus, Sweden was at the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in winter games history.
Guardian Service
