United States made their winter Olympics debut at Chamonix 1924 and has appeared at every winter games since. The Americans won 254 medals in the winter games including 87 gold medals.
When it comes to the winter games for the US, two of the most decorated athletes (when it comes to gold medals) are both speed skaters. Bonnie Blair (pictured) and Eric Heiden both have five gold medals each, and have set Olympic and world records in the winter games. For Blair, she won the 500m final three times--at Calgary 1988, and again at Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994--and the 1000m twice--at Albertville and Lillehammer. Heiden won all five of his at Lake Placid 1980, in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m events.
Eleven Americans have won gold twice in the winter games, including short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno (pictured). Ohno won the 1500m final at Salt Lake City 2002 and again in the men's 500m at Turin 2006. He won eight total medals in the winter games at Salt Lake City, Turin and again at Vancouver 2010. He is one of eleven that have won gold twice in the winter games joining ten others:
- Billy Fiske, bobsleigh, men's fours, St. Moritz 1928 and Lake Placid 1932
- Cliff Gray, bobsleigh, men's fours/fives, St. Moritz 1928 and Lake Placid 1932
- Irving Jaffee, speed skating, men, 5000m and 10,000m, Lake Placid 1932
- Jack Shea, speed skating, men, 500m and 1500m, Lake Placid 1932
- Dick Button, figure skating, men, singles, St. Moritz 1948 and Oslo 1952
- Andrea Mead Lawrence, Alpine, women, giant slalom and slalom, Oslo 1952
- Cathy Turner, short track speed skating, women, 500m, Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994
- Shani Davis, speed skating, men, 1000m, Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010
- Seth Wescott, snowboard, men, boardercross, Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010
- Shaun White, snowboard, men, halfpipe, Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010
USA Hockey has had its greatest moments in the Olympics. It all started at Squaw Valley 1960, when the men defeated Canada in the final for their very first winter Olympic ice hockey gold. At Lake Placid 1980, in a round robin tournament, it was the US men who defeated the Soviets 3-2. The game is known to this day as the "Miracle on Ice." The US won their second gold medal at the Lake Placid 1980 games. At Nagano 1998, the women defeated Canada in the gold medal match, in the first ever gold medal match for women's ice hockey in the winter Olympics.
For Sochi, 224 quota spots available for the US, some of them have been already filled out, including men's and women's ice hockey and curling, as well as speed skating, short track speed skating, biathlon, and luge among others.
The US hosted the winter Olympics four times: Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley 1960 and Salt Lake City 2002.
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