5. USA vs. Canada for the Gold medal in hockey. Hockey is one of the few sports I don't follow really at all, but I truly enjoy watching the fast paced game. The final game was thrilling with the US coming back from 2-0 to tie up the game with seconds left. Canada ended up winning the Gold medal in overtime, and while I am an avid fan of the US olympic team, this was okay with me. For the Canadians to win at the sport they most identify with, on home ice, on the last day of the Olympics is a moment that will go down in history for them. I'm just glad the US put up one hell of a fight :)
4. Bode Miller shows up to the Olympics. Miller has spent a lot of his career not quite meeting his potential. He has an outrageous amount of talent, but never had the work ethic necessary to really push himself to his best (according to all the experts). Many trashed the young man for not taking it all seriously enough, and even as a fan I was disappointed in his inability to buckle down and pull it together for the biggest winter sports stage. So I was ecstatic to see Bode show up for the Vancouver games with a different attitude. Even, by his own words, not in the best shape due to late decision to try for the Olympic games, Miller showed some of his best stuff and walked away with a medal of each color. Which, of course, makes me wonder what he could have done at his best physical fitness with this new attitude...
3. Chinese gold in pairs figure skating. This story has all the good makings for a movie. Two people working together, platonically, for years. A devastating injury puts all they have worked for at risk, but more importantly brings them together in a new, romantic way. United in every way now, they decide to come back and try for Olympic gold at the advanced ages of 31 and 36. The performance they put out in the short program literally left me a little breathless, giving a new definition to the words, "in unison". Aside from the stunning physical show they put on was the couple themselves. You could see they joy they got just from being around each other and I think it translated itself onto the ice which contributed to the eventual gold medal win. They were happy just to be skating together, and their vow to have "no regrets" if they walked away with less then gold, made them an easy couple to root for.
2. Canada's first gold on home ground. Alexandre Bilodeau competed in the men's moguls final, putting up one of his best runs ever left him in first place, unfortunately the favorite to win was still to come and a good performance would put Bilodeau in second place. The scores came down and this young man and the Canadian crowd there supporting him were up and roaring as Canada finally had a gold medal on Canadian soil. There would be many to follow, but this first one stuck with me. The excitement of the whole event gave me goosebumps everytime it was recapped or replayed. 
1. Joannie Rochette's short program performance. I don't know how to describe how I felt about this performance. Watching someone go through the most terrible time in their life on a world wide stage should make you feel bad for them. Joannie Rochette didn't even give me the chance for that. Two days after her mother's death, she stepped onto the ice and delivered a brave and emotional performance. It was a tribute and stunner all at the same time. I watched with tears the entire, near perfect, performance and felt some of her pain when her face crumpled up as the music ended. The performance earned her a bronze medal and hopefully the beginning of some healing.
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