What was the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics?

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics (officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games) was the 21st Olympic Winter Games hosted by Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia from February 12 to 28, 2010. About 2,566 athletes from 82 nations competed in 86 events across 15 sports. Canada won 14 gold medals (the most by any country at any Winter Olympics at the time), 7 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals (26 total). The 14 gold medals exceeded the 10 Norwegian gold medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games (the previous Winter Olympics gold-medal record). The 2010 Olympics is widely regarded as one of Canada's most successful sports events and a defining cultural moment of the early 21st century.

Vancouver had been awarded the Games by the International Olympic Committee on July 2, 2003, defeating bids from Pyeongchang, South Korea (which would later host the 2018 Games) and Salzburg, Austria. The Games' venues included GM Place / Canada Hockey Place (men's and women's hockey, now Rogers Arena), BC Place Stadium (opening and closing ceremonies), Pacific Coliseum (figure skating, short-track speed skating), the Richmond Olympic Oval (long-track speed skating), Cypress Mountain (freestyle skiing, snowboarding), and the Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Olympic Park, and Whistler Creekside (alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, sliding sports, and biathlon).

The Games were marked by both triumphs and tragedies. Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during a training run on February 12, 2010, the opening day of the Games, casting a shadow over the opening ceremony. Alexandre Bilodeau of Quebec became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on Canadian soil (men's moguls freestyle skiing, February 14, 2010). Canadian moments included Joannie Rochette's bronze-medal figure-skating performance on February 25 to 26, 2010 (just days after her mother's sudden death from a heart attack on February 21), Maelle Ricker's gold in snowboard cross (February 16), and the Canadian women's hockey team's gold medal on February 25 (defeating the United States 2 to 0). The Canadian men's hockey team's 7 to 3 preliminary-round loss to the United States on February 21, 2010 was particularly painful before the gold-medal rematch.

The men's hockey gold-medal game on February 28, 2010 became a defining Canadian sports moment. Canada faced the United States in front of an audience that included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Wayne Gretzky, and many Canadian dignitaries. With Canada leading 2 to 1 with about 25 seconds remaining in regulation, US forward Zach Parise scored to tie the game 2 to 2. In overtime, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored at 7 minutes 40 seconds (the 'Golden Goal') to give Canada the gold medal. About 16.6 million Canadian viewers watched live (about 50 per cent of Canada's population), making it one of the most-watched Canadian television events ever. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics produced lasting infrastructure including the Vancouver Convention Centre West expansion, the Sea-to-Sky Highway improvements between Vancouver and Whistler, the Canada Line Skytrain, and many sports venues.