Which Country Will Win the Most Medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics?

With less than 48 hours until the ceremonial cauldron is lit to signify the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, now’s a good time to check out the Sports Interaction online sportsbook and some of the unique Winter Olympics betting options available for the general public. Today, let’s take a look at the odds for which country will win the most medals:

Germany (2.20)

The German contingent was the story of the Turin Games in 2006, capturing a games-high 29 total medals to finish atop the table.  Traditionally, the Germans send large, competitive contingents (in Turin, they sent 162 athletes to compete in 15 different events) to the games, especially in events like biathlon, bobsleigh and cross-country skiing.  Biathlon might be the Germans’ best event. Case in point: In 2006, Kati Wilhelm and Martina Glagow finished gold-silver in the women’s pursuit competition while Uschi Disl and Katrin Apel finished 10th and 1tth, respectively. That kind of depth and overall team talent will make the Germans tough to beat in the overall medal count.

Canada (3.00)

Obviously the big advantage for the Canadian team is having the games on home soil. When you consider that, in 2006, Canada finished 5th overall in the medal count on foreign soil, you have to like their chances in Vancouver. The Canadians dominate on the ice, and should be considered mortal locks to gain a lot of hardware in the curling competition. Since curling was introduced as a medal sport at the ’98 games in Nagano, Canada is the only country to have won medals every time (in both men’s and women’s). The Canadian men’s and women’s hockey teams are also strong favourites to hit the podium, as are several of the short-track speedskaters, including Olympic heroes Cindy Klassen (five medals at the Turin games) and Clara Hughes.

USA (4.30)

The Americans finished 2nd in total medals in Italy four years ago (with 25) and are once again sending a dynamic and highly-skilled team.  The Americans have one of the finest speed skating programs in the world, evident by the medal haul brought home by the likes of Apolo Anton Ohno, Joey Cheek, Shani Davis and Chad Hendrick. Snowboarding phenom Shaun White is the defending men’s halfpipe champ and even the men’s hockey team — led by Buffalo Sabres netminder extraordinaire Ryan Miller — could end up on the podium.

As for the rest of the field…

• Norway   9.00
• Russia   13.00
• Austria   17.00
• Sweden   23.00
• Switzerland   26.00
• France   51.00
• Italy   126.00

If you’d like to check out more Winter Olympic betting for team and individual events, head on over to the Sports Interaction online sportsbook today!