How Should We Rate the U.S. in Sochi?

The Winter Olympics in Sochi have been a great success overall, with Russia celebrating an unlikely Gold in Women's Figure Skating, 26 medals overall, but the heartbreak of their Hockey team failing in the Quarters. Records were set for most individual medals ever for men (by Ole Einar Bjørndalen in biathalon), most medals by an American in the Winter Games (Bode Miller), for oldest American to win a medal (Bode Miller) and might fall for most medals by a women tomorrow. But how did the U.S. do overall? There have been some great stories, some surprising successes and some epic failures. Let’s take a look ...

On the Plus Side

*  America is currently leading the overall medal count with 27 (9 gold, 7 silver, 11 bronzes), one ahead of Russia and three ahead of Canada.

*  We broke the snide in Women's Luge (Silver), Men's Two-man Bobsledding (Bronze) and Women's Two-woman Bobsled (Silver), though we missed gold with a lead in the last run in the women’s bobsled. We also took a Silver and Bronze in Women’s and Men’s Skeleton, respectively.

*  Ted Ligedy Won the Men's Giant Slalom and Mikaela Shiffrin the         Ladies Giant Slalom

*  Body Miller broke the record for men’s medals at the Winter Olympics

*  Julie Mancuso snatched an unexpected Bronze in the Super Combined – Slalom

*  Andrew Weibrecht had the run of his life to snag a Silver in the Super-G

*  Americans dominated Freestyle events with golds in Men’s Ski Halfpipe (David Wise), Ladies Ski Halfpipe (Maddie Bowman), Men’s Ski Slopestyle (Joss Christenson), Women’s Halfpipe (Kaitlyn Farring) and Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle (Sage Kotsenbeug and Jamie Anderson)

On the Downside

*  Bode Miller failed to win the Downhill as the clear favorite, though he did get the Bronze in Super-G

*  American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis fell for the third Olympics running in the Snowboard Cross-

*  Shaun White pulled out of the Slope Style and failed to medal in the Halfpipe

*  Ahead 2-0 with 3 minutes left, the American Women’s Hockey team lost 3-2, though they did get the Silver medal.

*  The Men’s Hockey Team lost 1-0 to Canada in the Semifinals.

*  The American figure skating team won a Bronze in the inaugural team competition and the Gold in Ice Dance, but were shutout in Men’s, Pairs and Women’s Skating.* 

*  The short track team won only one medal (a Silver in the 5000m Relay)

*  The speedskating Men’s and Women’s teams were both shutout

*  The Men’s and Women’s Curling Teams were a combined 3-15 in round robin play