Olympic Medals: Gold, Silver, Bronze : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Olympic Medals: Gold, Silver, Bronze - Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

It has been a great olympiad for North America. If Canada wins the hockey showdown, they will stand alone with the record for most gold medals at an winter olympiad and the States will stand alone with the record for most total medals.

Canada's performance has been treated as something of a disappointment, but that's just the result of inflated expectations. In reality, Canada has already tied the record for the most gold medals ever won by a country at a winter olympiad. The current record of 13 is held jointly by Canada this year, Norway in 2002 and The Soviet Union in 1976. (The USSR managed to pull off those 13 golds out of only 37 available!)

Meanwhile, the team from the States is already assured of winning more medals than anyone ever has in a single olympiad. The record was 36, set by Germany in 2002. The USA holds 36 right now, and is assured of either gold or silver in hockey, so can finish with no fewer than 37.