Alpine skiing
Dominating American skier Lindsey Vonn, a two-time overall World Cup winner, is poised to obliterate her Olympic medal shutout after five World Cup super giant slalom wins and world championships in super G and downhill in 2009. With the retirement of Austrian great Hermann Maier, no man rules as Vonn does the women. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway came back from injury to top Austrian Benjamin Raich as the World Cup overall champion. Both need to be wary of American Bode Miller - 31 World Cup wins - and his desire to go out on top. Didier Cuche of Switzerland (super G) and Canada's John Kucera (downhill) broke through for world titles in 2009. Another Canadian broke through at the worlds, as Michael Janyk took home a slalom bronze. Canada, eyeing three medals at the 2010 Games, has invested hope - and dollars - in home-province favourites Britt Janyk, Emily Brydon, Kelly VanderBeek and Manuel Osborne-Paradis, plus Erik Guay of Quebec.
(James Christie )

Biathlon
Ole Einar Bjorndalen is poised to make history at Callaghan Valley near Whistler, B.C., in February. If the Norwegian can repeat his four-gold performance from the 2009 world championships and add to his nine-medal collection from three previous Olympics, Bjorndalen (who turns 36 in January) would become the most-decorated Winter Olympic athlete - and vault to the No. 3 spot among all Olympians. He faces ambitious 21-year-old Dominik Landertinger, an Austrian who scored the only gold at the 2009 world championships Bjorndalen couldn't snag. Canadian men are a non-factor, with only former junior contender Jean-Philippe Le Guellec qualified to race in February, his best World Cup race finish a 23rd in 2008. Among women, Canada's best hope, Zina Kocher, has one World Cup podium finish. Sandra Keith could also notch a top-10 finish and the women's relay team finished ninth in two World Cups last year. Germany's star, Kati Wilhelm and her purple-pink multihued hair, will duel with Helena Jonsson of Sweden. Russian Ekaterina Iourieva is an X-factor, waiting for the ruling on an appeal of her two-year ban for doping.
(David Ebner)

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Bobsleigh
The Whistler Sliding Centre is the fastest track in the world. While U.S. slider Steven Holcomb and his black Night Train four-man sled will be favoured based on his strong finish last season, do not discount either Canadian Pierre Lueders of Edmonton or Latvia's Janis Minins. Minins became the first driver ever to hit 150 kilometres per hour to win both four-man heats at the inaugural World Cup event in Whistler in February, edging Holcomb by 0.06 seconds. The Canada 2 sled, driven by Lyndon Rush of Humboldt, Sask., placed a surprising fourth at Whistler, raising hopes of multiple Canadian medals. Canada's top two women's drivers are veteran Helen Upperton and 24-year-old Kaillie Humphries, both of Calgary. Humphries put together back-to-back second-place finishes in the World Cup competition last year including a second-place finish in Whistler. Shauna Rohbock of the U.S. won the Whistler race and showed a good mastery of the quick track. She finished third in the world rankings behind two Germans: Sandra Kiriasis and Cathleen Martini.
(Jeff Blair)

Cross-country skiing
There are a handful of medal possibilities from Canada's cross-country skiers. Turin 2006 medalists Sara Renner will race in three events while Chandra Crawford is hoping to be back in form after injuring her right ankle a year ago. Crawford is the defending Olympic women's sprint champion, although the event in Vancouver will feature the classical style (with the skis moving in a parallel manner in groomed tracks). Crawford won her gold in Turin skiing freestyle. The Finnish duo of Virpi Kuitenen and Aino-Kaisa Sarrinen, along with Justyna Kowlczyk from Poland, are expected to dominate the women's events. On the men's side, the pairing of George Grey and Alex Harvey finished third in a team sprint World Cup race on the Olympic course in Whistler. They could stay together or Devon Kershaw may be added to the mix. Ivan Babikov, competing in his second Olympics but his first as a Canadian, should contend in the 15-km individual. Many have suggested Norway will rebound from a poor showing in Turin, with Olympic rookie Petter Northug leading the charge. Northug won three gold medals at the 2009 world championships but may not find Whistler's course to his liking. Switzerland's Dario Cologna has recovered from a thigh-muscle injury and will be pushing hard.
(Allan Maki)

Curling
Canadians will be counting on the men's and women's curling teams to bring home two medals, and anything less than double gold will likely be viewed as a disappointment. Although Canada has never failed to medal, it has won just a single men's (Brad Gushue, 2006) and single women's (Sandra Schmirler, 1998) gold in three Games. The Canadian teams will both be selected at the Canadian Curling Trials in Edmonton in early December. Leading contenders are Kevin Martin and Glenn Howard on the men's side, and Jennifer Jones and 2006 bronze medal winner Shannon Kleibrink. The Trials, however, have a history of producing underdog winners so expect the unexpected at the eight-team shootout. Whichever teams emerge, they'll have their work cut out for them against international talent that has been training, in some cases, for years. Reigning world champion David Murdoch of Scotland, representing Great Britain, and Thomas Ulsrud of Norway should provide the main challenge for the men's title while Olympic defending champion Anette Norberg of Sweden and 2009 world champion Bingyu Wang of China head up the women's side.
(Bob Weeks)

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Figure skating
Canada's Olympic figure skating hopes are led by Patrick Chan on the men's side, the 2009 world silver medalist who is currently the top-ranked male skater in the word, ahead of Nobunari Oda of Japan and 2009 world champion Evan Lysacek of the United States. Chan is currently recovering from a calf injury. Canada's best hope in the women's event is Joannie Rochette, currently ranked third in the world and coming off a 2009 world championships silver medal. To win gold in Vancouver she must get past former world champions Yu-Na Kim of South Korea and Mao Asada of Japan. In pairs skating, Canada's Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison are in a competitive field led by two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. In the dance event, Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won bronze at the 2009 world championship and will be chasing defending world champions Oksana Domnina and Maxime Shabalin of Russia.
(David Naylor)

Freestyle Skiing
2006 Olympic moguls champion Jennifer Heil of Montreal of is back on track to podium after skipping the 2008 World Cup season to heal her injured knee. Her biggest threats are Japan's Aiko Uemura and American Hannah Kearney, currently ranked No. 1. Alex Bilodeau of Montreal, who topped the 2009 World Cup rankings, leads a strong Canadian men's crew that includes 3rd- and 4th-ranked Vincent Marquis and Pierre-Alexandre Rosseau. French skier Grilbaut Colas will challenge, but the man to watch is Dale Begg-Smith, who ditched his Canadian roots at age 15 and went on to win 2006 Olympic gold for Australia. It's been 22 years since a Canadian aerialist took gold in Olympic competition, but Canadian two-time Olympian Steve Omischl is a favourite. The talented men's squad that includes Kyle Nissen and Warren Shouldice, who bounced back from a serious crash to win bronze at the 2009 world championships. Veronica Bauer, Canada's top female aerialist who's struggling to recover from post-concussion syndrome, faces a field dominated by Australian and Chinese competitors.
In ski cross, which debuts at this Olympics, Canada won gold on both the men's and women's sides and took five of six podium positions at a World Cup event held on the Olympic course at Cypress, an enticing preview of glory at the big show. (Hayley Mick)

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Hockey
Whatever the ultimate makeup of Canada's men's team, a lineup of nations ready to knock the hosts off the podium begins with Russia, winners of the last two world championships. Canada's old nemesis should boast a fearsome offence behind the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk. Sweden is the defending Olympic champion and should have four balanced lines, three reliable defence pairings and solid goaltending, while the United States brings plenty of youth and speed. As the Czech Republic's Dominik Hasek proved in Nagano, any country with a dominant goaltender can win this short tournament, so don't count out Finland and superstar backstops Miikka Kiprusoff and Niklas Backstrom. On the women's side, Canada has a thing or two to prove after losing the last two world championships to the United States and has to be considered a bit of an underdog. The Americans are young, fast and physical, featuring Hilary Knight, the Lamoureax twins, Jocelyne and Monique, and backstopped by the often impenetrable Jessie Vetter. Canada's roster will include scoring powerhouses Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford, with some fresh talent in Rebecca Johnston and Marie-Philip Poulin. And while Vancouver is widely expected to be a two-team tournament, the 2006 Swedish upset of the United States in Turin, largely on the strength of Kim Martin's goaltending, shows that anything can happen.
(Matthew Sekeres, Nicole MacAdam)

Luge
Canada hasn't win a world championship or Olympic medal in either men's or women's luge but the combination of coach Wolfgang Staudinger, recruited at considerable expense from the German program, and a considerable cash infusion for technological assistance has raised hopes of a break-through in Whistler. Regan Lauscher of Calgary finished second in a World Cup race in Lake Placid in 2004 - the country's best international finish - and Alex Gough, 21, will be one to keep an eye on after a sixth-place finish on the Whistler track last season. Armin Zoeggeler of Italy, a police officer nicknamed Il Cannibale (the Cannibal) has won the last two Olympic gold medals and the World Cup points race in each of the last four years ahead of Germany's David Moller. But Moller beat him in Whistler and Felix Loch of Germany actually posted the fastest speed (153.937 km/h). The women's event was a 1-2-3 German sweep. The doubles competition in luge has also followed a form chart in recent years, with Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber of Italy finally winning the World title last year after finishing second to Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch of Germany for three consecutive years. Brothers Chris and Mike Moffat of Calgary came in ninth on the track last year.
(Jeff Blair)

Nordic Combined
Nordic combined-ski jumping and cross-country skiing-was one of the original Winter Olympics sports starting in 1924 and last season was modernized for fans, with the number of jumps reduced to one from two to even out the skills required between the disciplines. And Whistler's Callaghan Valley adds more excitement, with the jumps and skiing at the same venue, unlike many sites in the world such as Calgary where the jumps were on the edge of the city and the cross-country skiing an hour west in Canmore. Favourites in 2010 include Finland's Anssi Koivuranta and Magnus Moan of Norway but Americans could surprise: Todd Lodwick and Bill Demong both took golds in events at the 2009 World Championships and Demong was ranked No. 3 at the end of the season. Canadian Jason Myslicki finished 41st in two events in 2006 at Turin. He retired but came back with a home country Olympics in sight and has qualified.
(David Ebner)

Skeleton
Jon Montgomery is going full out for gold. So are Jeff Pain and Mellisa Hollingsworth, the veterans of the Canadian team. Montgomery had only one World Cup win last season but it came at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Pain, in what will be his final Olympic appearance, won the silver medal in Turin while Hollingsworth won the bronze. Pain is hoping for the same magic that saw his teammate Duff Gibson strike gold in his last Olympic race. Hollingsworth, a seasoned and consistent competitor, holds the women's track record at Whistler (140.7 km/h) and will likely be joined by Amy Gough, who finished second at the 2009 Canadian championships. Gregor Stahli is considered the sport's greatest athlete. The 42-year-old Swiss slider took a year off in 2008 but returned to finish second at the Whistler World Cup race. He also won gold at the 2009 world championships. Great Britain's Adam Pengilly surprised everyone by claiming the silver. The women's field features a strong German contingent led by the reigning world champion Marion Trott, Kerstin Szymkowiak and promising newcomer Anja Huber.
(Allan Maki)

Ski jumping
Away from the glitzy glamour of downhill ski racing, last year's biggest money-winner among World Cup competitors was a wunderkind ski jumper: Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer. The Red Bull-sponsored teenager - he turns 20 just before the February Olympics- won a record 13 events and $465,000 last season, best of any ski athlete, including both events at Whistler's Callaghan Valley. Stardom at his first Olympics is not assured though - he faltered at the 2009 world championships, with silver in the individual normal hill, fourth in the large hill, and a gold in the team event. In summer training he hurt a knee in a fall but recovered quickly and won the last event in the summer Grand Prix series. Among Canadians, Stefan Read (nephew of skiing legend Ken Read and 2006 Turin competitor) and Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes have qualified to jump in the individual events. The best recent finish was Read's 35th on the large hill in Germany last February. A third jumper, Trevor Morrice, has qualified for the team event but Canada needs a fourth to compete, which could come in December or January. Reflecting the general weak showing, Own the Podium has moved its funds to other sports.
(David Ebner)

Snowboard
At his fourth and last Olympics, Jasey-Jay Anderson of Mont Tremblant, Que., was parallel giant slalom world champion in 2009 and shared the podium with teammate Matthew Morison of Burketon, Ont. They face formidable Austrians Sigfreid Grabner and Benjamin Karl. Snowboard cross racers Dominique Maltais, bronze medalist in Turin, and Maelle Ricker, who crashed in the finals, are both on track to podium. But Ricker's American rival Lindsay Jacobellis, whose hot-dogging turned gold into silver in Turin, wants redemption. Men's snowboard cross represents Canada's deepest talent, with Mike Robertson, Francois Boivin, Rob Fagan and Tom Velisek finishing in the top-16 last season. Olympic qualifiers will face stiff competition from U.S. stalwarts like Nate Holland and 2006 Olympic champion, Seth Wescott. In the half-pipe, a deep U.S. crew is led by Shaun White who will be tested by Japanese rider Ryoh Aono. But his biggest competition is teammate Kevin Pearce, who finished second to White at the 2009 X Games. Canadians Brad Martin and Jeff Batchelor will need best-ever performances to crack the top three. The four female darlings of the pipe - Australian Torah Bright and Americans Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler are good enough to sweep, but watch for China's dark horse, Jiayu Liu, who emerged out of nowhere to top the 2009 FIS World Cup rankings.
(Hayley Mick)

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Speed Skating: Short Track
While the Canadian team's public goal is to win six medals, the privately-voiced hope is for even more in a sport where thrills, spills and disqualifications are common. Charles Hamelin, the reigning world champion in the 500 metres, could win three or even four medals in the 1,000, the 1,500 and the relay. Cohort Francois-Louis Tremblay won silver in the 500 at Turin in 2006, Olivier Jean won bronze at the last worlds in the same distance. On the women's side, Kalyna Roberge could well find herself on one or more podiums, Jessica Gregg won bronze at the worlds in the 500, and will also be in with a shout, as will veteran Tania Vicent and Olympic rookie Marianne St. Gelais. The Canadians face stiff competition from powerful U.S., South Korean and Chinese teams. China's Meng Wang is the reigning world and Olympic champion at 500 and she won the 1,000 metre world title this year. On the men's side, American skater Apolo Anton Ohno, the sport's original superstar, leads a U.S. contingent that includes J.R. Celski, who won two medals at the worlds. South Korean Ho-Suk Lee is the world champion at 1,500 metres, his 19-year-old compatriot Yoon-Gy Kwak won two medals at the worlds and skated in the final at all three distances. Setting Wang aside, the Canadian women's biggest medal rivals are China's Yang Zhou, American Katherine Reutter and South Korean Min-Jung Kim, the world titleholder at 1,500 metres.
(Sean Gordon)

Speed Skating: Long Track
It's being called the deepest Canadian speed skating team ever. Anchored by two superstars, Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg and Jeremy Wotherspoon of Red Deer Alta., the Canadian long-track squad is expected to come away with the bulk of Canada's medals. This time, Klassen, who won a record five at the 2006 Turin Games and is coming off double knee surgery, won't be looked upon to carry such a load. Along with Wotherspoon, dominant on the World Cup circuit until he broke his arm last year, Canada ices a lineup of medal threats that also includes Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B.C., Kristina Groves of Ottawa and Christine Nesbitt of London, Ont. Expect to be hearing all of their names in Vancouver. But like hockey, Canada's other deepest sport comes with an extensive list of challengers capable of putting the Canadians in their place. Czech distance specialist Martina Sablikova and Dutch endurance wunderkind Sven Kramer - who will be followed by rabid fans back in the Netherlands on the website Svencouver.nl - are among the biggest contenders for the podium. But for one of the best rivalries of the games, look no further than Canada-U.S. on the men's side, where American veteran Shani Davis and rising star Trevor Marsicano are expected to be a one-two punch that can cause serious problems for Canada's multiple medal hopes.
(Grant Robertson)