|
Most Athletes, Largest Program at Winter Games VOA Sports 9 Feb 2002 
With the opening ceremonies over and the cauldron lit, attention now turns to the 2,531 Olympians who are at the heart of the 19th World Games, the biggest participation ever at a winter Olympics.
Seventy-seven countries are taking part in the Salt Lake City Olympiad. The United States has the largest contingent -- 211 members. Eight nations -- among them, Thailand, Fiji and Kenya -- have sent one athlete each. (Bermuda, Cyprus, Nepal, San Marino and Tajikistan also are sending one athlete apiece.)
The official U.S. delegation includes not only President Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, but also retired baseball hero Cal Ripkin, Junior, and bicyclist Lance Armstrong - three-time winner of the Tour de France.
During 17 days of the Games, athletes will compete for 477 medals in 78 events, the largest program in the history of the Winter Olympiad.
Action gets under way Saturday with competition in moguls, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined individual, hockey, figure skating and speedskating. The first medals are expected to be awarded to the winners of the women's cross country 15-kilometer final.
Olympic hopefuls include many world-recognized stars of winter sports. They include German speedskater Anni Friesinger, also known as "Super Anni," who is a candidate for at least three gold medals, and Austria's Stephan Eberharter, who is favored to win the men's downhill and is considered a gold contender in the super giant slalom and giant slalom competittion.
Czech Katerina Neumannova is looking to add gold to her Olympic medal collection in today's 15-kilometer freestyle race. Per Elofsson of Sweden is the overwhelming favorite in the men's 30-kilometer freestyle race. Canada is calling on its professional hockey stars to win its first ice hockey title since 1952.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
|