Nagano

The 18th Winter Games included a record 2,177 athletes from 72 countries and marked the Olympics first trip to Asia in 26 years.

Nagano was pummeled by snow, sleet, rain and even a minor earthquake during the Games. The weather caused countless delays and rescheduling got so bad that organizers had to cram the men's super G, women's downhill, and women's combined downhill into one day—the first tripleheader in Olympic Alpine history.

Germany won the most medals (29) for the second time in its third Winter Games as a unified team. The team from host Japan surpassed expectations, winning more gold medals (five) and total medals (10) than any previous Japanese team. And the United States tied its previous best (1994), by winning 13 medals.

Austria's Hermann Maier provided the Games' most enduring image. A horrifying spill during the men's downhill spun him airborne like a rag-doll and sent him crashing through two retaining fences. Amazingly, he recovered to win two gold medals within the next six days.

For the third straight Winter Games a woman won the most medals. Russia's Larissa Lazutina medaled in all five cross-country events, earning three golds, a silver and a bronze. Cross-country veteran Bjorn Dählie, of Norway, won four medals, thus becoming the winningest Winter Games athlete ever with eight career gold medals and 12 overall.

U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski, 15, became the youngest woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Games, and turned pro two months later. The U.S. won the first women's hockey gold medal, while the U.S. men's team—which included pros for the first time—drew ire for its disappointing sixth-place finish and room-trashing antics. The Czech Republic, which (as Czechoslovakia) had won seven Olympic hockey medals, but no golds, was a surprise winner, upsetting Russia 1-0 in the men's hockey final.

Curling and snowboarding also made their Olympic debuts in Nagano.

Top 10 Standings

National medal standings are not recognized by the IOC. The unofficial point totals are based on 3 points for a gold medal, 2 for a silver and 1 for a bronze. Total medals are in parentheses.

Leading Medal Winners

Number of individual medals won on the left; gold, silver and bronze breakdown to the right.

Alpine Skiing

Biathlon

Bobsled

Curling

Round Robin Standings

Figure Skating

Freestyle Skiing

Ice Hockey

Final Round Standings

Luge

Nordic Skiing

Men

Women

Speed Skating

Men

Women

Snowboarding

Salt Lake City, 2002

 By hosting the 19th Winter Games, Utah, an Indian word meaning “home on mountain top,” joins California, Georgia, Missouri and New York as the only U.S. states to host the Olympics. The 2002 Games will mark the end of Salt Lake City's long quest to host the games, a story that included failed bids in 1972, 1976 and 1998.

Located in north-central Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake City and the surrounding towns of Heber City, Ogden, Park City and West Valley City have a combined population of 1.5 million, making it the largest urban area ever to host the Winter Games.

 The sports program at Salt Lake City will be the largest in history. There will be 78 events—10 more than Nagano—occuring at five city (indoor) and five mountain (oudoor) facilities.

Here is a preview of what events have been added:

Skeleton: a Swiss sledding event similar to the luge, the men's event was last held in 1948 while the women's event is making its Olympic debut.

Bobsled: women's competition in the two-person discipline.

Biathlon: men's 12.5km pursuit and a women's 10km pursuit.

Cross Country: men's and women's sprint free.

Nordic Combined: an individual sprint event that consists of ski jumping from the large hill and a 7.5km cross-country race.

Short Track Speed Skating: men's and women's 1500m event.