While I didn't watch them as intently as I have in years past... (setting up my VCR and staying up late to watch absolutely everything) I still wanted to say goodbye to the games as they are now over.
In our Hearts
The Olympics got off to a somber start when, on the opening day, luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a tragic accident during practice.
Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette skated for a personal best score in the short program and win a bronze medal despite the fact that her mother passed away unexpectedly just two days before the figure skating competition began.
2010 Olympics Highlights
* An estimated 32.6 million people watched The Olympic opening ceremony.
* American skier Lindsey Vonn won a gold medal in the ladies Super-G and set a new record for U.S. women's World Cup wins record despite undergoing surgery just a few weeks prior to the games.
* American snowboarder Shaun White pulled off a Double McTwist 1260 and scored 46.8 out of 50 to take gold and dominate the men's halfpipe competition
* Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic won a bronze medal in the cross country ladies sprint classic despite breaking four ribs during practice just hours before the race
* Alex Bilodeau, the winner of the men's moguls, became the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in his home country
* After winning the Men's hockey tournament, the host country, Canada, broke the record for the most gold medal wins at a Winter Olympic games, with a total of 14 gold medals.
*The United States surpassed the all-time record for most overall medals in a Winter Olympics with 37 total medals. 36 was the previous record.
| Country |  |  |  | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | USA | 9 | 15 | 13 | 37 | ||
 | GER | 10 | 13 | 7 | 30 | ||
 | CAN | 14 | 7 | 5 | 26 | ||
 | NOR | 9 | 8 | 6 | 23 | ||
 | AUT | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 | ||
Vancouver Now - Full Medal Standings
Medal Info for the curious
While winning any Olympic medal is enough for any athlete, other people are wondering exactly how much the medals are really worth
Here's how it breaks down: a gold medal is made of 550 grams of silver covered with 6 grams of gold, a silver medal is made of 41 grams of copper and 509 grams of silver, and a bronze medal is made of a mix of mostly copper with some tin and zinc. This means that in today's market a gold medal is worth approx $494, a silver medal $260, and a bronze medal just $3.
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