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100 Reasons to get excited

  • 39Curling ice guru

    Meet the guru of curling ice making in Canada and the man in charge in Vancouver: Manitoba's Hans Wuthrich. He has an 'Eye on the Ice' wireless system that monitors everything you can think of to create perfect ice.

  • 3822 Feet

    That's the height of the monster at Cypress Mountain: the largest Olympic halfpipe in history. Expect some seriously big air.

  • 37Russia's pairs

    They've won gold at every Olympics since 1964. Now that's a streak. While Russia's figure skating pairs for 2010 aren't favourites, they should never be counted out. Look out for Kavaguti and Smirnov, and Mukhortova and  Trankov.

  • 36Hamelin family affair

    The Hamelins are a dominant force on the short track speed skating scene in Canada. Dad Yves runs the program, and brothers Charles and François are looking to share the podium in Vancouver.

  • 35Bobsleigh first?

    No Canadian woman has ever won an Olympic medal in bobsleigh. Pilots Helen Upperton and Kaillie Humphries are major contenders to make it happen for the first time - at home.

  • 34Crawford's new style

    Canada's Chandra Crawford is going for gold again - but with a new technique. The cross-country skier won using the free technique in Torino, but in Vancouver, the race swiches to classical.

  • 33Trevor Marsicano

    He's 20 years old, and already a star. The American speed skater burst onto the international scene in 2009 with four medals at the world championships. Watch out for Marsicano in Vancouver.   

  • 32Long track talent

    Groves, Nesbitt, Morrison, Hughes, Wotherspoon, Klassen - that's just part of Canada's star-studded speed skating team. Canada won 8 Olympic medals in 2006, and the haul is expected to be even bigger in 2010.

  • 31US halfpipe dominance

    Can any team spoil the USA's party in the pipe? No country has won more Olympic medals, and reigning Olympic champions Shaun White and Hannah Teter are among a handful of potential podium finishers on the American team.

  • 30Cross-country first?

    No Canadian man has ever won an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing, but a trio of Canadians - Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov and Alex Harvey - have won world cup medals. History could be made in Vancouver.

  • 29End of an era?

    An American figure skater has stood on the podium at every Olympics since 1968 in the ladies' competition. In 2010 there are no clear US favourites, but watch Rachael Flatt and Sasha Cohen try to come out of the woodwork to keep the streak alive.

  • 28Aerial sweep

    China won its first ever Winter Olympics medal in 2006, and now, only four years later, the country could achieve a podium sweep. Five ladies' freestyle aerialists rank among the world's top 10. Now that's fast progress.   

  • 27Miracle on Ice

    The Soviet Union won four straight Olympic gold medals before the 1980 Games, when 20 American college kids shocked the hockey power in Lake Placid. On Feb. 22, 2010, hockey fans can celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 'Miracle on Ice.'

  • 26Jagr and Palffy

    The former NHL stars are back to represent their countries on the world's biggest stage. Jaromir Jagr, 37, led the Czech Republic to gold in 1998, and Ziggy Palffy, who had three 30-goal seasons for the Kings, will suit up for Slovakia.  

  • 25David Möller

    If he cracks the Olympic podium, expect the accomplished German luger to bust out some sign language. While his hearing is perfect, Möller's parents are both deaf, so he often signs to the camera, speaking to them directly through the TV.

  • 24Bill Demong's quest

    Watch Demong try to become the first North American to win an Olympic medal in nordic combined. The American has a solid shot - he won five World Cup gold medals in 2008-09, and challenged for the overall title.

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