BODE THE KID: Alpine skiing aficionado or not, you couldn’t help being impressed by Miller barreling down Whistler Creekside with abandon – just as he did as a tyke on the cold, shady slopes of New Hampshire’s Cannon Mountain.
JOANNIE ROCHETTE: The Canadian figure skater put aside personal tragedy to win bronze and inspire not only her nation, but many around the world who reached out to her in the wake of her mother’s sudden passing just days before the competition began.
Like a rock, Petra Majdic lived up to the Greek meaning of her first name with a courageous performance in the women’s cross-country sprint. After skidding off the exceptionally icy trail in warm up, emerging in intense pain – the result, she found of later, of having broken four ribs – she insisted on racing.
In the wake of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili’s fatal crash on the luge track, American slider Tony Benshoof is auctioning off his Olympic race suit – signed by all 10 members of the US team – and selling it on Ebay to raise money for Kumaritashvili’s family.
Nordic combined athlete Bill Demong showed he had a heart of gold when, after a disappointing jump in the individual normal hill event put him out of medal contention, he still was ecstatic for teammate Johnny Spillane’s silver medal – America’s first in 86 years of Olympic competition.
Though it saddened Canadian fans who were hoping moguls skier Jenn Heil could repeat her 2006 Olympic victory, Hannah Kearney’s flawless final run was truly impressive. But almost more exciting was her unfettered burst of joy upon capturing gold – redemption for all the stairs climbed en route to jumping off Lake Placid’s specially made plastic runs that would shoot her into a gurgling, unheated pool. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Known better for their hospitality than their military, Canada mustered a small army of volunteers to pull off these Olympic Games with unfailing patience and cheerfulness – if not always perfect efficiency. Their attitude – one which would make the world a much more forgiving place to live if adopted by all countries, did much to give the 16-day event a welcoming, uplifting feel. Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Two nations came together when the Canadians won gold in ice dancing. The battle for gold between the pair of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and the pair of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who train together in Michigan, represented one of the high points of the Vancouver Olympics for competition and sportsmanship. Jerry Lampen/Reuters
Canada entered these Olympics on an almost frantic gold-medal watch. As Canadians were well aware, Canada was the only country only to hold an Olympics twice and never win a gold medal in either (Montreal 1976 and Calgary 1988). So whoever won that first gold was going to be celebrated throughout Canadian Olympic history.
Perhaps no one really understands skating new scoring system yet. But everyone does know that Kim Yuna is really, really good. Her world record score destroyed the field by more than 23 points (that's a lot), and her skating set a new standard for craftsmanship – the quality of each jump and pass across the ice exquisite. Newscom
Almost 30 years to the day after the Miracle on Ice – and 50 years since the US last beat Canada in men's Olympic hockey – the US shocked the hosts with a 5-3 win on the back of goalie Ryan Miller. It was a showcase for hockey at its finest in front of the most passionate hockey fans on the planet. Of course, after Sunday's overtime final, Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Canadian team left the rink with gold hung around their necks. A fitting finale for Canadian fans. Chris O'Meara/AP
Shaun White had the gold medal locked up in halfpipe snowboarding, but still had one run left. It was time for a "victory lap" – the run that means nothing and is a chance to have some fun. But it never works. The pressure gone, the focus fading, the victory lap turns into a crash and shrug-shouldered slide down the pipe. Except this day. White hit every trick before coming to his last air. Running out of speed and hill, he attempted what the world had been talking about since he arrived – his new trick, the double McTwist 1260 – and nailed it. That was a victory lap. Mark J. Terrill/AP
Two male team members and a trainer were arrested in Northern Ireland, where Jordan's squad is training before the London Paralympics, which begin Aug. 29.
Jordan pulled three squad members accused of sexual assault in Northern Ireland out of the 2012 London Paralympics on Thursday, sports officials in Amman said.
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