Who Will Win
ALPINE SKIING
U.S. OUTLOOK: Theteam has set a lofty goal of eight medals. Watch Julia Mancuso in the downhill,Kristina Koznick in the slalom, Rahlves, Mancuso and Kirsten Clark in the SuperGs, and Miller--in anything.
MEN
Downhill
Michael Walchhofer, Austria
Daron Rahlves, U.S.
Hermann Maier,Austria
Walchhofer beganhis career as a slalom specialist.
Super G
Hermann Maier,Austria
Hannes Reichelt,Austria
ChristophGruber, Austria
Maier onceout-arm-wrestled countryman Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Combined
Benjamin Raich,Austria
Bode Miller,U.S.
MichaelWalchhofer, Austria
Miller wassecond, Raich third in '02 behind Norway's Kjetil André Aamodt.
Giant Slalom
Benjamin Raich,Austria
MassimilianoBlardone, Italy
Fredrik Nyberg,Sweden
No nation has wonfour men's Alpine golds at one Games.
Slalom
Giorgio Rocca,Italy
Kalle Pallender,Finland
Ted Ligety,U.S.
Partiallycolor-blind Rocca wears goggles to tell blue gates from red.
WOMEN
Downhill
MichaelaDorfmeister, Austria
Janica Kosteli´c,Croatia
Lindsey Kildow,U.S.
In December,Kildow won a race in France. Her prize: a cow.
Super G
MichaelaDorfmeister, Austria
AlexandraMeissnitzer, Austria
Anja Pärson,Sweden
What, no cow?Dorfmeister used to travel the circuit with her pet rat.
Combined
Janica Kostelic,Croatia
Anja Pärson,Sweden
Marlies Schild,Austria
Kostelic is theonly Alpine skier to win four medals in one Games ('02).
Giant Slalom
Anja Pärson,Sweden
Kathrin Zettel,Austria
Janica Kostelic,Croatia
Pärson celebratesher victories with a sliding belly flop.
Slalom
Janica Kostelic,Croatia
Marlies Schild,Austria
Nicole Hosp,Austria
Kostelic has had11 knee operations, and her thyroid was removed in '04.
BIATHLON
U.S. OUTLOOK:There will be no medals, but Alaska's Jay Hakkinen could give the U.S. itsfirst top 10.
MEN
10K Sprint
Ole EinarBj√∏rndalen, Norway
Frode Andresen,Norway
Michael Greis,Germany
Bj√∏rndalenlearned positive thinking from vacuum salesman turned coach.
12.5K Pursuit
Ole EinarBj√∏rndalen, Norway
Michael Roesch,Germany
Ricco Gross,Germany
To ward offcolds, Bj√∏rndalen gargles with spirits before races.
15K MassStart
Ole EinarBj√∏rndalen, Norway
Rapha√´l Poirée,France
Sven Fischer,Germany
Raphaël andNorwegian wife Liv Grete won medals in 2002.
20KIndividual
Sven Fischer,Germany
Ole EinarBj√∏rndalen, Norway
Michael Greis,Germany
Twice World Cupoverall champ, Fischer has no solo Olympic golds.
4 √ó 7.5KRelay
Germany
Russia
France
German biathleteshave won medals in the relay in the last nine Games.
WOMEN
7.5K Sprint
Kati Wilhelm,Germany
Sandrine Bailly,France
Liv Grete Poirée,Norway
Wilhelm took upbiathlon in 1999; by 2001 she was world sprint champ.
10K Pursuit
Kati Wilhelm,Germany
Sandrine Bailly,France
Uschi Disl,Germany
Wilhelm lost a16-second lead in '02.
12.5K MassStart
Martina Glagow,Germany
Uschi Disl,Germany
Anna CarinOlofsson, Sweden
Disl, 35, has woneight Olympic medals but no individual golds.
15KIndividual
Andrea Henkel,Germany
Anna CarinOlofsson, Sweden
Albina Akhatova,Russia
Henkel is thereigning world and Olympic champ.
4 √ó 6 K Relay
Germany
Russia
France
With Disl, now afive-time Olympian, Germany has won the last two relays.
BOBSLED
U.S. OUTLOOK: Theteam can mine medals in each event. Look for Hays's sleds in both men's eventsand for Shauna Rohbock & Valerie Fleming and Jean Prahm & VonettaFlowers in the women's.
MEN
Two-man
Pierre Lueders& Lascelles Brown, Canada
Andre Lange &Kevin Kuske, Germany
Martin Annen& Beat Hefti, Switzerland
Jamaican nativeBrown received Canadian citizenship last month.
Four-man
Switzerland(driver: Martin Annen)
U.S. (driver:Todd Hays)
Russia (driver:Alexander Zubkov)
Annen is aprofessional cheese maker (Gruyère is his favorite).
WOMEN
Two-woman
Sandra Kiriasis& Anja Schneiderheinze, Germany
Susi Erdmann& Annegret Dietrich, Germany
Helen Upperton& Heather Moyse, Canada
Kiriasis escapeda fire that destroyed her home in 2004.
CROSS-COUNTRY
SKIING
U.S. OUTLOOK:Bill Koch's 1976 silver will remain the only Nordic medal ever won by anAmerican.
MEN
1.4 K Sprint(freestyle)
Tor Arne Hetland,Norway
Björn Lind,Sweden
Vasily Rochev,Russia
Hetland won goldin Salt Lake City by a 10th of a second.
Team Sprint(classical)
Sweden
Norway
Russia
Five of the top10 sprinters this season are Swedes.
15 KClassical
Tobias Angerer,Germany
Jens ArneSvartedal, Norway
Vasily Rochev,Russia
Angerer wrappedup January with his fifth straight World Cup win.
30 K Pursuit
Tobias Angerer,Germany
Pietro PillerCottrer, Italy
Axel Teichmann,Germany
A part-timedeejay, Angerer posts a monthly playlist on his website.
50K Mass Start(freestyle)
Tobias Angerer,Germany
Lukas Bauer,Czech Republic
Pietro PillerCottrer, Italy
A Scandinavianhas won a medal in the 50K at all 19 Winter Olympics.
4 √ó 10 KRelay
Norway
Italy
Germany
Norway took thelast two gold medals by a total of half a second.
WOMEN
1.2 K Sprint(freestyle)
Marit Bj√∏rgen,Norway
Yulia Chepalova,Russia
Lina Andersson,Sweden
Bj√∏rgen began asa sprint specialist.
Team Sprint(classical)
Norway
Russia
Sweden
Norway leads allnations with 83 cross-country medals.
10 KClassical
Marit Bj√∏rgen,Norway
Claudia Künzel,Germany
Beckie Scott,Canada
Bj√∏rgen won fivemedals at the 2005 world championships.
15K Pursuit
Marit Bj√∏rgen,Norway
Beckie Scott,Canada
Yulia Chepalova,Russia
In '02, after twoRussians were DQ'd for doping, Scott won gold.
30 K Mass Start(freestyle)
KatÀòerinàNeumannova, Czech Republic
Marit Bj√∏rgen,Norway
Yulia Chepalova,Russia
Neumannova, 32,will be in her sixth Olympics, including the Atlanta Games in 1996 when shefinished 18th in mountain biking.
4√ó5 K Relay
Russia
Norway
Finland
Four-timedefending champ Russia pulled out in '02 after one of its skiers wasdisqualified for having a high hemoglobin level.
CURLING
U.S. OUTLOOK: Themen are a long shot, but the women, who won silver at worlds, aren't.
MEN
Norway
Canada
Sweden
Familiar withquadrennials, U.S. skip Pete Fenson was born on Feb. 29.
WOMEN
Sweden
Canada
U.S.
Sweden beat theU.S. 10-4 to win the 2005 world title in March.
FIGURESKATING
U.S. OUTLOOK:Evan Lysacek or Kimmie Meissner could also win a medal for this deep team.
MEN
Evgeni Plushenko,Russia
Stephane Lambiel,Switzerland
Johnny Weir,U.S.
Last monthPlushenko overcame the flu to win his fifth European title.
WOMEN
Sasha Cohen,U.S.
Irina Slutskaya,Russia
Shizuka Arakawa,Japan
Japan's MaoAsada, 15, who would be favored but is too young to compete, won't be there,but Michelle Kwan will--and don't count her out.
Pairs
TatianaTotmianina & Maxim Marinin, Russia
Maria Petrova& Alexei Tikhonov, Russia
Dan Zhang &Hao Zhang, China
Soviet or Russianpairs have won 11 straight Olympic titles.
Dance
Tatiana Navka& Roman Kostomarov, Russia
Tanith Belbin& Ben Agosto, U.S.
Elena Grushina& Ruslan Goncharov, Ukraine
The favorites arecoached by Navka's husband, Alexander Zhulin.
FREESTYLESKIING
U.S. OUTLOOK: IfJeremy Bloom (moguls) and Jeret Peterson (aerials) are in top form, the teamcould win five medals.
MEN
Aerials
Dmitri Dashinski,Belarus
Kyle Nissen,Canada
Ryan St. Onge,U.S.
Dashinski ledafter the qualifying round in '98 but finished third.
Moguls
Dale Begg-Smith,Australia
Toby Dawson,U.S.
Janne Lahtela,Finland
Vancouver nativeBegg-Smith competed for Canada until 1999.
WOMEN
Aerials
Li Nina,China
Evelyne Leu,Switzerland
Guo Xinxin,China
Last season Lihad six firsts and four seconds in 11 World Cup events.
Moguls
Kari Traa,Norway
Jennifer Heil,Canada
Michelle Roark,U.S.
Once addicted tochocolate, Traa now eats it only as a reward.
HOCKEY
U.S. OUTLOOK: Themen will be hard-pressed to match their silver from 2002, and the women will behard-pressed to better theirs.
MEN
CzechRepublic
Canada
Russia
SI hockey writerMichael Farber disagrees and picks Canada (page 78).
WOMEN
Canada
U.S.
Finland
The top scorer atthe world championship in April, Krissy Wendell is the new U.S. captain.
LUGE
U.S. OUTLOOK:Tony Benshoof could win his first Olympic medal, Mark Grimmette and BrianMartin their third.
MEN
Singles
Armin Zöggeler,Italy
AlbertDemtchenko, Russia
David Möller,Germany
Zöggeler has wonbronze (1994), silver (1998) and gold (2002).
Doubles
Patric Leitner& Alexander Resch, Germany
ChristianOberstolz & Patrick Gruber, Italy
André Florsch√ºtz& Torsten Wustlich, Germany
The medals willgo to those who tame tricky Turn 14.
WOMEN
Singles
Silke Kraushaar,Germany
Tatjana Hüfner,Germany
Sylke Otto,Germany
Otto led a Germansweep in 2002.
NORDICCOMBINED
U.S. OUTLOOK: Todd Lodwick, 29, has an outside shot at the U.S.'s firstmedal.
Individual(normal hill, 15K freestyle)
Hannu Manninen,Finland
Ronny Ackermann,Germany
Magnus Moan,Norway
Manninen made hisOlympic debut in 1994 at age 15.
Sprint (largehill, 7.5 K freestyle)
Hannu Manninen,Finland
Ronny Ackermann,Germany
Felix Gottwald,Austria
Ackermann wonboth individual and sprint events at the 2005 worlds.
Team (normalhill, 4 √ó 5 K freestyle)
Germany
Austria
Norway
The U.S. quartettook fourth, its best finish ever, in Salt Lake City.
SKELETON
U.S. OUTLOOK:After sweeping gold in 2002, the team could be kept off the medal stand in2006.
MEN
Jeff Pain,Canada
Gregor Stähli,Switzerland
Sebastian Haupt,Germany
Eric Bernotas,who took up the sport four years ago, is the best U.S. hope.
WOMEN
MayaPedersen-Bieri, Switzerland
MellisaHollingsworth-Richards, Canada
Diana Sartor,Germany
Pedersen-Bieri'shusband, Snorre, once competed for Norway.
SKI JUMPING
U.S. OUTLOOK: Notpretty.
Normal hill
Jakub Janda,Czech Republic
Janne Ahonen,Finland
Roar Lj√∏kels√∏y,Norway
Janda and Ahonenshared the prestigious Four Hills title last month.
Large hill
Jakub Janda,Czech Republic
Janne Ahonen,Finland
Matti Hautamäki,Finland
Ahonen is acompetitive drag racer during the summer.
Team
Norway
Austria
Finland
Three Norwegianshave won World Cup events this season.
SNOWBOARDING
U.S. OUTLOOK:This team rocks. Seven boarders on the roster are X Games champs.
MEN
Halfpipe
Shaun White,U.S.
Antti Autti,Finland
Jan Michaelis,Germany
White barelymissed making the 2002 team at age 15.
Parallel GiantSlalom
Philipp Schoch,Switzerland
Jasey-JayAnderson, Canada
Simon Schoch,Switzerland
In 2003 Philipp'solder brother, Simon, won a silver at worlds.
Snowboardcross
Xavier Delerue,France
Jasey-JayAnderson, Canada
Seth Wescott,U.S.
Wescott's dad,Jim, once coached marathon champ Joan Benoit.
WOMEN
Halfpipe
Gretchen Bleiler,U.S.
Doriane Vidal,France
Hannah Teter,U.S.
In 2002 Bleilerlost an Olympic berth on a tiebreaker.
Parallel GiantSlalom
Daniela Meuli,Switzerland
Manuela Riegler,Austria
Isabelle Blanc,France
Riegler, theworld PGS champ, also competes in snowboardcross.
Snowboardcross
Karine Ruby,France
LindseyJacobellis, U.S.
DominiqueMaltais, Canada
Ruby hails fromChamonix, site of the first Winter Olympics, in 1924.
LONG-TRACK
SPEEDSKATING
U.S. OUTLOOK:Rosy. Eight skaters have won Olympic medals or world all-around titles.
MEN
500m
JeremyWotherspoon, Canada
Joey Cheek,U.S.
Joji Kato,Japan
Cheek won theworld sprint title last month in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
1,000m
Jan Bos,Netherlands
Shani Davis,U.S.
Dmitri Dorofeyev,Russia
Davis missedmaking the short-track team by one place at the trials.
1,500m
Chad Hedrick,U.S.
Enrico Fabris,Italy
Shani Davis,U.S.
Hedrick brokeDavis's world record, skating 1:42.78 in November.
5,000m
Eskil Ervik,Norway
Chad Hedrick,U.S.
Sven Kramer,Netherlands
Only on home icehas a U.S. skater won an Olympic race this long.
10,000m
Lasse Saetre,Norway
Chad Hedrick,U.S.
Eskil Ervik,Norway
Hedrick won 50world inline titles, from 300 meters to 42 kilometers.
Team Pursuit
Norway
Netherlands
U.S.
Peter Mueller,'76 Olympic champ for the U.S., coaches the Norwegians.
WOMEN
500m
Wang Manli,China
Jenny Wolf,Germany
Svetlana Zhurova,Russia
China has neverwon an Olympic gold medal in long-track skating.
1,000m
Anni Friesinger,Germany
Chiara Simionato,Italy
JenniferRodriguez, U.S.
FloridianRodriguez, sometimes called J-Rod, is also known as Miami Ice.
1,500m
Anni Friesinger,Germany
Cindy Klassen,Canada
Ireen Wust,Netherlands
Friesinger'sspeedskating parents met at a competition in East Berlin.
3,000m
RenateGroenewold, Netherlands
Anni Friesinger,Germany
Cindy Klassen,Canada
Klassen tried outfor the Canadian ice hockey team in 1998.
5,000m
MartinaSablikova, Czech Republic
ClaudiaPechstein, Germany
RenateGroenewold, Netherlands
Pechstein has wonseven Olympic medals, including four golds.
Team Pursuit
Germany
Netherlands
Canada
In this newOlympic event, teams of three race six laps around the oval.
SHORT-TRACK
SPEEDSKATING
U.S. OUTLOOK:Ohno? Oh, yes. And Haley Kim, 17, is a future star.
MEN
500m
Ahn Hyun-Soo,South Korea
Li JiaJun,China
Apolo Anton Ohno,U.S.
Li has twicesuffered a collapsed lung because of race crashes.
1,000m
Ahn Hyun-Soo,South Korea
Apolo Anton Ohno,U.S.
Lee Ho-Suk, SouthKorea
Ahn and Ohnocollided in the '02 final.
1,500m
Apolo Anton Ohno,U.S.
Ahn Hyun-Soo,South Korea
Lee Ho-Suk, SouthKorea
Ohno found goldin '02 after South Korea's Kim Dong-Sung was DQ'd.
5,000m Relay
South Korea
China
U.S.
Favored SouthKorea was DQ'd in '02.
WOMEN
500m
Wang Meng,China
Evgenia Radanova,Bulgaria
Kalyna Roberge,Canada
Wang is unbeatenin four World Cup 500-meter races this season.
1,000m
Wang Meng,China
Yang Yang (A),China
Jin Sun-Yu, SouthKorea
Wang and Yangboth hail from Harbin, the short-track hotbed.
1,500m
Jin Sun-Yu, SouthKorea
Yang Yang (A),China
Wang Meng,China
Allison Baver ofthe U.S. has a shot.
3,000m Relay
China
South Korea
Canada
All three wonmedals in '98 and '02.
Stars like lugerSilke Kraushaar (right) will help Germany top the Winter medal standings forthe third time in a row
COUNTRY | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL | 2002 TOTAL |
GERMANY | 17 | 11 | 11 | 39 | 38 (RANK: 1ST) |
U.S. | 5 | 12 | 16 | 33 | 34 (2ND) |
NORWAY | 15 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 25 (3RD) |
CANADA | 4 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 17 (4TH) |
AUSTRIA | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 15 (5TH) |
RUSSIA | 4 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 13 (6TH) |
CHINA | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 8 (10TH) |
SWEDEN | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 7 (12TH) |
FINLAND | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 7 (12TH) |
SOUTH KOREA | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 4 (14TH) |
SWITZERLAND | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 (8TH) |
FRANCE | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 11 (8TH) |
ITALY | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 12 (7TH) |
 
Italy
To the home team go the spoils: automatic entries inevery event, roaringly supportive crowds and a virtually guaranteed boost inmedals won. Led by skier Giorgio Rocca, Italy's team will give locals plenty tocheer about
Giorgio Rocca, ALPINE SKIING
At 30, Rocca (above) has blossomed into a World Cup sensation. His fivestraight slalom wins this season--a feat matched by only three otherskiers--set off a frenzy of ticket sales in Italy. Rocca's lucky charm:10-week-old son Giacomo, born shortly before the streak began.
Carolina Kostner, FIGURE SKATING
Her cousin Isolde, one of Italy's greatest Alpine skiers, carried the nationalflag in the opening ceremonies in 2002, and Carolina (top left) will follow inIsolde's footsteps in Turin. The fan favorite, who turns 19 on Feb. 8, was theworld bronze medalist in 2005.
Armin Zöggeler, LUGE
The 32-year-old defending gold medalist (bottom left) is a policeman from SouthTyrol, a region so close to Austria that German was his first language. Withhis final set for Day 2 of competition in Turin, Zöggeler could win Italy'sfirst gold medal of the Games.
Austria
Benjamin Raich, ALPINE SKIING
THE BEST all-around skier on the world's strongest Alpine team, Raich(pronounced RIKE) has nevertheless been overshadowed by U.S. star Bode Miller.Steady and unassuming, Raich, 27, won four world championship medals in 2005and is the World Cup overall points leader.
Norway
The top cross-country skiing nation in Olympic historydelivers a new star
Marit Bj√∏rgen, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
In 2002 Norwegian biathlon great Ole Einar Bj√∏rndalen won a Games-high fourgolds. In Turin the upbeat Bj√∏rgen, 25, a triple winner at 2005 worlds, couldduel her 32-year-old countryman for most-medals honors.
Russia
The erstwhile Big Red Machine is still a dynamo in theOlympics' most graceful sport
Irina Slutskaya, FIGURE SKATING
An Olympic cofavorite four years ago, Slutskaya (above) blew the landing of atriple flip in her long program and ended up with silver. In the last threeyears she has had to overcome vasculitis, an affliction that causes painfulinflammation of blood vessels, and the strain of her mother's kidney disease.But she is the reigning world champion and could become the oldest women'sfigure skating gold medalist since at least 1908. (She turns 27 on Feb. 9, theday before the opening ceremonies.)
Evgeni Plushenko, FIGURE SKATING
An Olympic cofavorite four years ago, he fell on a quadruple toe loop in hisshort program and ended up with silver. Now 23, Plushenko (right) is easily theclass of the sport and could become the fourth straight Russian (and fifthstraight Soviet-born skater) to win men's gold. He has the seven highest scoreson record under the sport's new Code of Points judging system.
Canada
Though strong in speedskating, sliding and some skiingand snowboarding events, the 2010 host country is most intent on repeating its2002 sweep of hockey gold medals
Hayley Wickenheiser, ICE HOCKEY
After all these years at the forefront of her sport, can she be only 27?Wickenheiser, the Olympic MVP in 2002 when she led Canada past the archrivalU.S. in the final, has played forward on the national team since age 15. Morerecently she has been the MVP at worlds (2004) and played in a men's pro leaguein Finland ('03-04). In the likely gold medal rematch with the U.S., herleadership could make the difference.
South Korea
No country is more passionate about the Olympics' mostrough-and-tumble sport--or has a more talented young competitor in it
Ahn Hyun-Soo, SHORT-TRACK SPEEDSKATING
Unlike many of his countrymen, the 20-year-old Ahn (above, in blue) doesn'thate the U.S.'s Apolo Anton Ohno for what happened at the 2002 Olympics. Inaddition to Ohno's controversial win over Kim Dong-Sung in the 1,500 meters, heand Ahn bumped in the 1,000, knocking Ahn out of contention. Ahn calls Ohno agreat skater whom he respects, but he's been less than deferential, beatingOhno for the overall title at worlds three straight times.
PHOTO
Photograph GERARD BERTHOUD/DPPI/Icon SMI
TWO PHOTOS
JENS-ULRICH KOCH/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; ORN E. BORGEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
THREE PHOTOS
SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES; ALEXANDER DEMIANCHUK/REUTERS; ALEXANDER HASSENSTEIN/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES
TWO PHOTOS
YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; ANATOLY MALTSEV/EPA
TWO PHOTOS
MARK GALLUP; ANTONIO CALANNI/AP
THREE PHOTOS
MAX ROSSI/REUTERS; LEE JAE-WON/REUTERS; FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS