United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics

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The United States sent 204 athletes (117 men and 87 women) to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, competing in eight sports. Chris Witty, a four-time Olympian, was the opening ceremony flag bearer, and speed skater Joey Cheek carried the flag at the closing ceremonies. Sarah Konrad became the first American woman to compete in two different disciplines at a single Winter Games (biathlon and cross-country skiing).

Medals and overall performance
The United States finished second in the medals with 25 total: 9 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze.

Key achievements and highlights
- Snowboarding dominated, with seven medals including three golds: Shaun White and Hannah Teter won in halfpipe, and Seth Wescott won in men’s snowboard cross. Lindsey Jacobellis earned a silver in women’s snowboard cross after an late fall.
- Speed skating and short track: Shani Davis won gold in the 1000 meters (the first Winter Olympic individual gold by an athlete of African descent) and silver in the 1500 meters. Apolo Ohno won three medals in short track speed skating (one gold in the 500 meters and two bronzes).
- Figure skating: Sasha Cohen won silver in ladies’ singles. Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto won silver in ice dancing, the United States’ first ice dancing medal in 30 years. Michelle Kwan withdrew from competition due to injury; Emily Hughes competed instead.
- Freestyle skiing: Toby Dawson won bronze in men’s moguls. Hannah Kearney did not advance from the qualifiers in women’s moguls. Although the team had strong contenders, only one freestyle medal was earned.
- Curling: The U.S. men won bronze, the country’s first curling medal.
- Nordic and biathlon: Todd Lodwick had one of the best U.S. results in Nordic combined. Biathlete Jay Hakkinen had the top U.S. finish in biathlon at 10th in the men’s event.
- Luge, bobsled, skeleton: The United States posted strong results but medals were limited; a few athletes faced injuries and setbacks.
- Ice hockey: The men’s team did not medal, finishing outside the medal rounds after a tough group stage. The women’s team reached the bronze medal game and won bronze by defeating Finland after losing to Sweden in the semifinal.

Notes and challenges
- Two skiers, Kikkan Randall and Leif-Orin Zimmermann, were briefly suspended for high hemoglobin levels; Randall was cleared to compete.
- Luger Zach Lund faced a doping-related ban and did not compete in Turin.
- The team also dealt with injuries and changes, including Michelle Kwan’s withdrawal and Emily Hughes stepping in for competition.

Overall, the United States achieved a strong showing with historic moments in speed skating, ice dancing, and snowboarding, finishing 2nd in the medal standings with 25 medals across eight sports.