Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Canada

102 days remaining until the opening ceremonies of Sochi 2014. Up next on the countdown: Canada

Canada has participated at every winter games since the first one in 1924, and has achieved a grand total of 145 medals, including 52 gold medals.

When it comes to individual events, no one has been successful for Canada in the winter games than Marc Gagnon (pictured). Gagnon won gold in the men's 500m short track at Salt Lake City 2002, and was a part of the men's 5000m relay, also on the short track, at Nagano 1998 and again at Salt Lake City 2002.

Catriona Lemay Doan (pictured) is among seven Canadians to have won gold twice in the winter games. Lemay Doan won gold twice in the women's 500m speed skating events at both Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002. Also winning gold twice in the winter games for Canada:

• Gaetan Boucher, men's 1000m and 1500m speed skating, Sarajevo 1984
• Annie Perreault, women's 3000m relay, Albertville 1992 and women's 500m short track, Nagano 1998
• Myriam Bedard, women's 7.5km sprint & 15kg biathlon, Lillehammer 1994
• Eric Bedard, men's 5000m relay, short track, Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002
• Francois Louis Tremblay, men's 5000m short track relay, Salt Lake City 2002 and Vancouver 2010
• Charles Hamelin, men's 500m and 5000m short track relay, Vancouver 2010

In addition, Canada has achieved a whole lot at the team level in the winter games. At the first winter Olympics of 1924, Canada defeated United States for the gold. They would win gold at the next two winter games, and then again in 1948. In 2002 at Salt Lake City, they crushed the USA in the gold medal final, and their 54 year drought was over. They did it again in 2010 in their third gold medal meeting ever, at Vancouver's Rogers Arena, where Canada won in overtime 2-1 over the United States on a Sidney Crosby goal.

Since Nagano 1998, the first year of women's ice hockey in the Olympics, Canada has been on a hot streak. After their loss to the United States at Nagano in the final, Canada would later win gold at the next three games. At Salt Lake City, the women defeated the US in the final, followed by another gold win at Turin against Sweden, and again defeated the US in the final at Vancouver 2010.

Canada is also known to be a curling country. Since Curling arrived in the Olympics at Nagano 1998, they have been the program to watch, both men and women. At Nagano, the women defeated Denmark in the final. The men followed up at Turin 2006 with a gold medal win over Finland and at Vancouver 2010, they followed up with a gold medal win over Norway in the final.

Canada will send 81 quota spots (as of now) to Sochi, including men's and women's ice hockey and curling, plus speed skating and short track, as well as bobsleigh and biathlon.

Canada hosted the winter games twice: first at Calgary 1988 (the last Olympics broadcast by US ABC) and the most recent at Vancouver 2010.

Up next: Cayman Islands