The first edition in Aosta Valley from 20th to 25th March

With the Closing Ceremony and the handover  to Sochi 2014, the courtain has brought down over the 21st Winter Olympic Games of Vancouver 2010. Now it’s official: Italy closes the event with a total number of five medals, the gold medal of Razzoli for alpine skiing, the silver medal of Piller Cottrer for cross-country skiing, the bronze medals of Fontana (short track), Zoeggeler (luge) and Pittin (nordic combined). The bionic Norvegian athlete, Petter Northug, has won the last competition, after overcoming the German Axel Teichmann, with a difference of only 3 tenth. The Swedish Johan Olsson, very good in hanging on to the bronze medal, has arrived one second later. Di Centa is eleventh, but after a real proof of pride. The last gold medal has been won by the hockey men competition: the Canadian team beats U.S.A. 3-2 with the golden goal of Crosby, and has begun the feast which lasted all the night long. Canada leads 2-0 and the American team equalizes 2-2. The Canadians have won even the medal collection with 14 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals, and has become the Organizer with more Olympic titles in the history of the Winter Olympics (the maximum until today was 10 titles). Canada has also established the new record of gold medals won in a sole edition, better than the 13 ones won by the Soviet Union in 1976, and then by Norway in 2002. And, luckily, they never won an Olympic title during the two past home editions, in Motreal and in Calgary. In the end, there is also the assessment of the I.O.C. President,  Jacques Rogge: the Olympic Games receive top marks, even if in our hearts there is the sadness for the death of the Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili. All the eyes are now upon the sports of the Winter Military World Games Aosta Valley 2010, in programme from 20th to 25th March: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski orienteering and ski mountaineering, short track and indoor sport climbing.