Sochi 2014: The Countdown Series: Russia (host country)

18 days remaining until the opening ceremonies (17 until the first day of competition) at Sochi 2014. Up next on the countdown: the host country of Russia.

The host country of the Winter Games of the XXII Olympiad, Russia made their winter games debut at Lillehammer 1994, and has appeared with at least one athlete at every winter games since. The Russians won 91 medals in the winter games (not counting Unified Team or USSR medals), including 36 gold medals.

Perhaps one of the most decorated winter Olympians ever is cross country skier Lyubov Yegorova (pictured). She won six gold medals in her career, including three as a Russian. She won the 15km at Albertville 1992 (with Unified Team), the 5/10km pursuit at Albertville (again with the Unified Team), and at Lillehammer 1994, the 5km at Lillehammer, and as a 4x5km relay team member at Albertville (with Unified Team) and Lillehammer.

Cross country skier Larisa Lazutina (pictured) won five gold medals in the winter games. She won the 5km and 5/10km pursuit at Nagano 1998, and was a member of the 4x5km relay team that won gold at Albertville 1992 (with Unified Team), Lillehammer 1994 and Nagano.

Another cross country skier, Yulia Chepalova (pictured), is one of four Russians to win gold three times in the winter games. She won the 30km at Nagano 1998, the sprint at Salt Lake City 2002 and as a member of the gold medal winning 4x5km relay team at Turin 2006. Anfisa Reztsova also won three gold medals, and in two sports, as she won cross country gold as a member of the 4x5km relay team at Calgary 1988 (with Soviet Union), and also won two gold medals in biathlon, in the 7.5km sprint at Albertville 1992 (with Unified Team) and as a member of the 4x7.5km relay team at Lillehammer 1994. Elena Valbe, another cross country skier, won three gold medals in the winter games. She won as a member of the 4x5km relay team at Albertville (with Unified Team), Lillehammer and Nagano. And yet another cross country skier, Nina Gaveylyuk, also won three gold medals in the winter games, as a member of the 4x5km relay team at Calgary (with Soviet Union), Lillehammer and Nagano.

Eleven Russians have won gold twice in the winter games:

• Sergey Chepikov, biathlon, men, 4x7.5km relay team member, Calgary 1988 (with Soviet Union) and 10km sprint, Lillehammer 1994
• Katya Gordeyeva & Sergey Grinkov, figure skating, mixed pairs, Calgary 1988 (with Soviet Union) and Lillehammer 1994
• Pasha Grishchuk & Yevgeny Platov, figure skating, mixed ice skating, Lillehammer 1994 and Nagano 1998
• Olga Danilova, cross country, women, 15km and 4.5km relay team member, Nagano 1998
• Artur Dmitriyev, figure skating, men, mixed pairs, Albertville 1992 (with Natalia Mishkutyonok as members of Unified Team) and Nagano 1998 (with Oksana Kazakova)
• Olga Pylyova Medvedtseva, biathlon, women, 10km pursuit, Salt Lake City 2002 & 4x6km relay team member, Vancouver 2010
• Svetlana Ishmuratova, biathlon, women, 15km and 4x6km relay team member, Turin 2006
• Anna Bogaly Titovets, biathlon, women, 4x6km relay team member, Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010
• Olga Zaytseva, biathlon, women, 4x6km relay team member, Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010

Since Russia is the host country for this year's winter games, it is mandatory (by IOC standards) to have at least one from host country in every sport. Therefore, for this year's games, the total of the Russian contingent is 216, for a country hosting the winter games for the very first time.

Up next: first time winter Olympic nations