2010 Winter Games: We Present Team USANA

As we prepare to kick off the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, we present to you Team USANA! It's an incredibly talented group of elite athletes — including at least two flag bearers — who understand the value of proper nutrition. As such, they naturally trust their health to USANA's high-quality nutritional supplements.

Good luck to all the athletes competing in Vancouver. You've got the whole USANA Family rooting for you!

Short Track

Long Track

US Speedskating
There's been a lot of buzz this year surrounding the US Speedskating team, thanks in part to the boisterous Stephen Colbert. But we can say we knew the team when.

USANA partnered with US Speedskating in 1999, meaning this will be our third Winter Games together. We're excited for the team, and we're thrilled to see national all-around coach and friend of USANA Derek Parra leading the way.

On a side note, fortunately no one was injured when the Prince William Ice Center roof collapsed last weekend. USANA's Alan Bergstrom reports that skaters — including one who doubles as a USANA customer service rep — were on the ice practicing earlier in the day but all were evacuated before the collapse.


Speed Skating Canada
Competitive speed skating possesses a rich history in Canada, dating more than 150 years to when British soldiers raced from Montreal to Quebec City.

A lot's changed since then, but the competitive spirit remains. The 2010 team is poised to show the world what the home-country athletes are capable of accomplishing on the ice.

• Fun fact: Speed skater Clara Hughes, right, who will be competing in her fifth Olympics, will be Canada's flag bearer during the Opening Ceremonies. Congratulations!

Great Britain Short Track Speed Skating
Two names — Jon Eley and Elise Christie — have stood out as we've gotten to know one of our newest sponsored teams. The dynamic duo helped the Great Britain team to its strongest showing in a major championship in several years at last month's Short Track European Championships. We can't wait to see how the team performs in Vancouver!

• Speedskating: Feb. 13-18, 20-21, 23-24, 26-27
  

Biathlon Canada
Biathlon requires competitors to be speedy cross country skiers and accurate shots from both the standing and prone positions.

The men’s competition made its Olympic debut at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games and will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Women have been participating in Olympic biathlon since the 1992 Albertville Games. Biathlon Canada has taken home three medals — including two golds.

• Biathlon: Feb. 13-14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 26

USA Luge
I may be biased, but this is one of the sports I'm most looking forward to watching during the Games. How couldn't you get excited about something dubbed the fastest sport on ice?

Racers fly down a winding course, inches away from the ice below, banking high around corners, and reaching speeds approaching 80 and 90 miles per hour while dropping an average of 30 stories in elevation. It's USANA's first Olympics as a luge partner and we can't wait to cheer on the Americans!

• Great News: USA Luge veteran Mark Grimmette was selected to carry the American flag in the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night. It's quite an honor for the five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist. Congratulations. We'll be watching!

• Luge: Feb. 13-17
  

Cross Country Canada
Utilizing every major muscle group, cross-country skiing is one of the most difficult endurance sports in the Olympics. For many of the Cross Country Canada team, Torino was their first trip to the Olympics. Building on that experience, this stellar team has shown amazing improvement over the past four years and is now ready to contend with the best athletes in the sport.

• Cross Country Skiing: Feb. 15, 17, 19-20, 22, 24-25, 27-28
  

In addition to all these great organizations, Team USANA is also comprised of several outstanding individual athletes.

Jennifer Botterill, Canada Women's Hockey
There's a lot of pressure on the Canadian hockey teams this year. Some are even going so far as to say the Games will be a disappointment if the teams don't win Gold.

We're not about to put that kind of pressure on Jennifer Botterill, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist. We'll remain fans no matter the result, but we have a feeling Canada will be celebrating.

• Women's Hockey: Feb. 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 25
  

Jennifer Heil, Canada Freestyle Moguls
We can't say enough about Jenn Heil, one of the world's most decorated mogul skiers. She won gold in 2006 — becoming the first Canadian woman to bring home gold in the sport — and is a favorite to repeat in Vancouver.

She will be competing on the first full day of the Olympics and could become the first Canadian athlete to win gold in a Canada-held Games. This is definitely an event we'll be watching closely!

Here's a great blog post about Jenn courtesy of USANA Diamond Director Deanna Waters. Be sure to check out her blog throughout the Games for additional Team USANA coverage.

• Women's Freestyle Moguls: Feb. 13

Julia Murray, Canada Freestyle Ski Cross
Here's a wonderful story. Julia Murray, the daughter of skiing legends, began using USANA products seven years ago and is now realizing her dream of competing in the Olympics. She'll be competing in freestyle ski cross, which is making its Olympic debut this year.

In doing a little research on the sport, this sounds like one you won't want to miss. Heats of four skiers combine freestyle and alpine skills to travel down a rugged course filled with hills, turns, and jumps. In some cases, the winner may be the last one standing.

• Freestyle Ski Cross: Feb. 23

Adam Pengilly, British Skeleton Association
In his second Olympic go-round Adam Pengilly is looking to improve on his eighth-place finish in the 2006 Winter Games.

What's skeleton, you ask? Here's a great description from Bob McKenzie in the UK Express: "...an ice road which could see [Pengilly] hit 90mph while riding what appears to be a widescreen TV on rails."

Whew!

• Skeleton: Feb. 18-19
  

The mentioned athletes are either distributors or dedicated users who have received compensation for their partnership and/or complimentary USANA products.