Throughout history, there have been countless rivalries, some of which were large scale international rivalries and others which were more localized. The games have been known throughout the ages for many rivalries and among the most well known and easily remembered are the "Battle of the Brians," or the rivalry between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Then there was the rivalry between the Canadian figure skating pairs team and the Russian pairs team that prompted the overhaul of the figure skating scoring system. Rivalries at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are no exception.
Here is a look at some of the top rivalries we can expect to witness at the upcoming games.
STEVE CROSBY VERSUS ALEX OVECHKIN -
The most prominent rivalry at these games is likely to be that between the Canadian native and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and the Russian star of the Washington Capitals hockey team, Alex Ovechkin. These two have been battling for league scoring honors and are very likely to be battling for the gold medal in hockey.
Other notable rivalries to watch include:
MAO ASADA VERSUS YU-NA KIM -
Asada was too young to compete in Torino, but she is still considered a force to reckon with against the Korean star Yu-Na Kim. Kim did well at the Four Continents Championship with a record score on her short program, but she couldn't overtake Asada who landed a triple Axel in her free skate, (a jump that few women, if any, have ever succeeded in executing in an international competition.) Asada was in 6th place going into that free skate, but her flawless routine, coupled with that triple Axel pushed her into third place. Nonetheless, Kim still won the title.
Asada comes from a country with a long tradition of great female figure skaters, including Yuka Sato and Fumie Suguri and Miki Ando. Sasha Cohen, who is slated to skate at the US Figure Skating championship is making a come back after four years. She will be another one to watch. Sasha has always had the artistry and flexibility that other skaters seem to lack, but her main problem in competition is her inconsistency.
CANADA VERSUS UNITED STATES IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY -
In the world of women's hockey, Canada and the U.S. are likened to the Yankees and the Red Socks in baseball. Ever since 1990, these two teams have battled each other in every final at the World Championships. In 1998, when women's hockey was first added to the Olympic games, the United States won the gold medal. In 2002 and 2006, however, Canada took the gold, and Sweden came from behind to take the silver in Torino in a surprise that left the U.S. women with the bronze medal. Although the U.S. won the 2008 World Championships, you can bet that the Canadian women are roaring to win on their home ice.
SHANI DAVIS VERSUS CHAD HEDRICK -
These two American speedskaters have had some bad feelings after Davis decided not to compete in the pursuit event in Torino. Hedrick had hoped to be able to match Eric Heiden's record of five medals in a single Olympics, but when Davis opted out of the event, Hedrick thought he had less of a chance in the pursuit.
The two were joined in November in the Netherlands at the World Cup by Trevor Marsicano for the 3,000 meter pursuit. They finished in second place, and the US won a medal and stood on the podium for the first time at a World cup event in three years.
EVAN LYSACEK VERSUS JOHNNY WEIR-
These two have been the principal competitors for the United States in men's figure skating for the past five years. In January of 2009, at an event in Cleveland Ohio, both failed to win. Lysacek, who was a two time national champion only managed to get a third place finish. Weir on the other hand, dropped out of medal contention altogether and finished in fifth place. Lysacek is a bold and powerful skater who often goes for broke with his quad jumps and other daring endeavors whereas Weir is a bit of an eccentric but very elegant on the ice. Both were over taken by the young Jeremy Abbot at the US Figure Skating Championships, so Abbot may be favored for the Gold Medal now.
ERIN HAMLIN VERSUS GERMANY -
Erin Hamlin is an American luger from Remsen New York. She recently broke what had seemed like an unending winning streak for the German lugers, at Lake Placid. Until Hamlin entered the picture, Germany had a count of 99 wins that dated back to 1997, including both Olympic and World Cup victories. With this stunning upset, it's a wait and see game to determine whether Germany can make a comeback to take yet another gold medal.
These are the most notable rivalries to watch at forthcoming games. Some events have been known for rivalries all along, while other events are only beginning to gain the recognition they really deserve. It will be interesting to see how intense these battles will be and how many medals each country can win. You can bet that Canada has it's hopes on winning the medal count, especially in their home country at such an important Olympics.