Missed opportunities and a bust on the ski slopes made the Americans fall short of their own expectations at these Olympics.
Still, the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee believes that may be a bigger reflection on the expectations than the actual U.S. performance in the Turin Games.
“I'm disappointed in ourselves and our own expectations that we came into the Games with, which may not have been realistic,” USOC chief executive officer Jim Scherr told The Associated Press in an interview yesterday.
“There are a couple areas where we thought we'd perform better but we didn't,” he said. “We just have to go back and work a little harder for Vancouver (in 2010).”
Before the Games started, Scherr said the Americans had the potential to match or surpass the record 34 medals they won four years ago in Salt Lake City. He also frequently pointed out that teams competing at an Olympics after they've competed at home traditionally experienced a 41-percent drop.
So far, the U.S. team has 21 medals, 39 percent below the 2002 total, with a handful of events still to go. The U.S. medal total is still second on the medals table, behind Germany, which is where the U.S. team finished last time.
Asked to grade the U.S. performance, Scherr said he'd give it a B-plus, “but that could turn into an A-plus because we can still win the gold-medal count and the total medal count in these Games, which would be an incredible feat.”
Cheek to carry flag
Speed skater Joey Cheek was elected by the U.S. team to carry the American flag during the Closing Ceremonies tomorrow.
“I feel like I'm not really worthy,” said Cheek, who won gold in the 500 meters and silver in the 1,000 in Turin. “It's a wonderful honor and I'm thrilled that it happened.”
Peterson sent home
U.S. aerials skier Jeret “Speedy” Peterson was sent home yesterday after being involved in what team officials described as “an altercation with an acquaintance from the United States.” Details were not immediately available.
Injuries
Defending Olympic slalom champion Jean-Pierre Vidal of France broke his left arm while skiing for pleasure yesterday and withdrew from today's race.
American skeleton athlete Kevin Ellis had surgery to repair a vertebra in the middle of his back. Ellis, 32, fractured and dislocated the vertebra in a recreational sled race Thursday. The USOC reported the surgery was successful, and no complications are expected.
Arrivederci, eh?
At the Closing Ceremonies, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan formally will receive the Olympic flag from the mayor of Turin and take it to Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Games.
Canadian singer Avril Lavigne will perform in an eight-minute production designed to celebrate Canada and its hosting of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
Sullivan is in Turin picking up pointers on organizing a Winter Olympics – and educating a few folks about what a quadriplegic can accomplish.
The 46-year-old Sullivan broke his neck in a skiing accident when he was 19 and has no use of his legs, fingers or hands. He retains movement in his biceps, allowing him to move his arms to operate his electric wheelchair.
“Becoming a quadriplegic was really, really difficult. It took me seven years of depression and difficulties. Eventually I came through and decided I was going to focus on making my life better, and the lives of others,” Sullivan said. “Some people do consider disability as a tragedy. I look at it as a career move.”
The Closing Ceremonies' theme relies heavily on carnival life, as seen through the films of Federico Fellini.
