The USA will match the number of medals it won in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, USA TODAY predicts. The U.S. team is projected to win 25 medals, nine of them gold, finishing behind Canada (34) and Germany (32):

FIGURE SKATING

Spotlight will be on: Not since Brian Boitano won on Canadian ice in the 1988 Calgary Games has a U.S. man won Olympic figure skating gold. Reigning world champion Evan Lysacek could repeat Boitano's feat. The U.S. women, meanwhile, could be shut out of medals for the first time since 1964.

Women's singles

Gold: Kim Yu-na, South Korea

Silver: Miki Ando, Japan

Bronze: Mao Asada, Japan

Men's singles

Gold: Evgeni Plushenko, Russia

Silver: Evan Lysacek, USA

Bronze: Nobunari Oda, Japan

Pairs

Gold: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, China

Silver: Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, Germany

Bronze: Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, Russia

Ice dancing

Gold: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canada

Silver: Meryl Davis and Charlie White, USA

Bronze: Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, Russia

ICE HOCKEY

Spotlight will be on: No medal would mean more to the puck-crazed host nation than men's hockey gold, and Sidney Crosbywill be leading the effort. Four years after being left off Canada's 2006 Olympic roster, six months after winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, "Sid the Kid" is on center stage.

Women

Gold: Canada

Silver: USA

Bronze: Finland

Men

Gold: Canada

Silver: Russia

Bronze: Sweden

CURLING

Spotlight will be on: Canadian skip Kevin Martinnarrowly lost the 2002 Olympic final to Norway. After winning the 2008 world title, he could find redemption on home ice. In his way are 2009 world champion David Murdoch and his team of Scots, perhaps the only people who revere curling more than Canadians.

Men

Gold: Great Britain

Silver: Canada

Bronze: Norway

Women

Gold: China

Silver: Sweden

Bronze: Switzerland

SHORT-TRACK SPEEDSKATING

Spotlight will be on: With one more Olympic medal, the USA's Apolo Anton Ohno could become the first short-track speedskater from any country with more than five. Two more would make him the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian, surpassing long-track speedskater Bonnie Blair's six medals.

Men's 500 meters

Gold: Charles Hamelin, Canada

Silver: Francois-Louis Tremblay, Canada

Bronze: Kwak Yoon-Gy, South Korea

Women's 500

Gold: Wang Meng, China

Silver: Kalyna Roberge, Canada

Bronze: Liu Qiuhong, China

Men's 1,000

Gold: Apolo Anton Ohno, USA

Silver: Lee Ho-Suk, South Korea

Bronze: Lee Jung-Su, South Korea

Women's 1,000

Gold: Wang Meng, China

Silver: Katherine Reutter, USA

Bronze: Zhou Yang, China

Men's 1,500

Gold: Charles Hamelin, Canada

Silver: Lee Jung-Su, South Korea

Bronze: Sung Si-Bak, South Korea

Women's 1,500

Gold: Zhou Yang, China

Silver: Lee Eun-Byul, South Korea

Bronze: Liu Qiuhong, China

Women's 3,000 relay

Gold: China

Silver: South Korea

Bronze: Canada

Men's 5,000 relay

Gold: South Korea

Silver: Canada

Bronze: USA

LONG-TRACK SPEEDSKATING

Spotlight will be on: In 2006, Shani Davis became the first African American to win Winter Games gold in an individual event. He also was embroiled in controversy over his decision to skip the team pursuit. He opted out of the team event again to focus on his four individual races in Vancouver.

Men's 500 meters

Gold: Lee Kyou-Hyuk, South Korea

Silver: Keiichiro Nagashima, Japan

Bronze: Tucker Fredricks, USA

Women's 500

Gold: Jenny Wolf, Germany

Silver: Wang Beixing, China

Bronze: Lee Sang-Hwa, South Korea

Men's 1,000

Gold: Shani Davis, USA

Silver: Denny Morrison, Canada

Bronze: Lee Kyou-Hyuk, South Korea

Women's 1,000

Gold: Christine Nesbitt, Canada

Silver: Annette Gerritsen, Netherlands

Bronze: Sayuri Yoshii, Japan

Men's 1,500

Gold: Shani Davis, USA

Silver: Chad Hedrick, USA

Bronze: Denny Morrison, Canada

Women's 1,500

Gold: Kristina Groves, Canada

Silver: Christine Nesbitt, Canada

Bronze: Ireen Wust, Netherlands

Women's 3,000

Gold: Martina Sablikova, Czech Republic

Silver: Kristina Groves, Canada

Bronze: Stephanie Beckert, Germany

Men's 5,000

Gold: Enrico Fabris, Italy

Silver: Sven Kramer, Netherlands

Bronze: Ivan Skobrev, Russia

Women's 5,000

Gold: Martina Sablikova, Czech Republic

Silver: Clara Hughes, Canada

Bronze: Kristina Groves, Canada

Men's 10,000

Gold: Sven Kramer, Netherlands

Silver: Bob de Jong, Netherlands

Bronze: Havard Bokko, Norway

Men's team pursuit

Gold: Netherlands

Silver: Canada

Bronze: Norway

Women's team pusuit

Gold: Canada

Silver: Russia

Bronze: Netherlands

FREESTYLE SKIING

Spotlight will be on: The USA's Hannah Kearney entered the 2006 Games as the reigning world moguls champion but failed to make the Olympic final. For redemption in Vancouver, she must dethrone reigning Olympic champion Jennifer Heil of Canada, favored to win her country's first gold medal ever at a Games hosted by Canada.

Men's aerials

Gold: Anton Kushnir, Belarus

Silver: Warren Shouldice, Canada

Bronze: Jia Zongyang, China

Women's aerials

Gold: Li Nina, China

Silver: Xu Mengtao, China

Bronze: Guo Xinxin, China

Men's moguls

Gold: Dale Begg-Smith, Australia

Silver: Guilbaut Colas, France

Bronze: Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada

Women's moguls

Gold: Jennifer Heil, Canada

Silver: Hannah Kearney, USA

Bronze: Nikola Sudova, Czech Republic

SKI JUMPING

Spotlight will be on: With Austria's Alpine skiing prospects somewhat dampened by injuries and the retirement of Hermann Maier, the country will look to its ski jumpers, especially 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer, for a dominating performance. Schlierenzauer has eight World Cup wins this season.

Men's normal hill

Gold: Schlierenzauer, Austria

Silver: Simon Amman, Switzerland

Bronze: Wolfgang Loitzl, Austria

Men's large hill

Gold: Thomas Morgenstern, Austria

Silver: Andreas Kofler, Austria

Bronze: Adam Malysz, Poland

Men's team, large hill

Gold: Austria

Silver: Norway

Bronze: Finland

ALPINE SKIING

Spotlight will be on: The USA's Lindsey Vonn has won world championships (two last season) and World Cup overall titles (the last two seasons) but will be gunning for her first Olympic medals in Whistler. She was scheduled to race in all five women's events, but a shin injury may force her out of Sunday's combined event and maybe more.

Men's downhill

Gold: Carlo Janka, Switzerland

Silver: Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canada

Bronze: Didier Cuche, Switzerland

Women's downhill

Gold: Lindsey Vonn, USA

Silver: Maria Riesch, Germany

Bronze: Anja Paerson, Sweden

Men's super-G

Gold: Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway

Silver: Michael Walchhofer, Austria

Bronze: Erik Guay, Canada

Women's super-G

Gold: Lindsey Vonn, USA

Silver: Andrea Fischbacher, Austria

Bronze: Anja Paerson, Sweden

Men's slalom

Gold: Reinfried Herbst, Austria

Silver: Julien Lizeroux, France

Bronze: Ivica Kostelic, Croatia

Women's slalom

Gold: Marlies Schild, Austria

Silver: Sandrine Aubert, France

Bronze: Maria Riesch, Germany

Men's giant slalom

Gold: Marcel Hirscher, Austria

Silver: Ted Ligety, USA

Bronze: Benjamin Raich, Austria

Women's giant slalom

Gold: Tanja Poutiainen, Finland

Silver: Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany

Bronze: Kathrin Zettel, Austria

Men's combined downhill/slalom

Gold: Carlo Janka, Switzerland

Silver: Ivica Kostelic, Croatia

Bronze: Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway

Women's combined downhill/slalom

Gold: Anja Paerson, Sweden

Silver: Maria Riesch, Germany

Bronze: Elisabeth Goergl, Austria

SNOWBOARDING

Spotlight will be on: The USA'sLindsey Jacobellisgot the most infamous silver of the 2006 Games, after a bit of styling near the finish line tripped her up and cost her gold. She's positioned for redemption, winning two World Cup overall titles the last three seasons and the last three Winter X Games titles.

Watch for reigning Olympic gold medalist Shaun Whiteto try a dangerous but high-scoring version of this season's hottest trick, the double cork. The U.S. women, with two Olympic champs and an Olympic silver medalist on the team, could sweep the podium.

Men's halfpipe

Gold: Shaun White, USA

Silver: Iouri Podladtchikov, Switzerland

Bronze: Kazuhiro Kokubo, Japan

Women's halfpipe

Gold: Kelly Clark, USA

Silver: Gretchen Bleiler, USA

Bronze: Liu Jiayu, China

Men's parallel giant slalom

Gold: Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada

Silver: Benjamin Karl, Austria

Bronze: Andreas Prommegger, Austria

Women's parallel giant slalom

Gold: Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands

Silver: Ekaterina Tudegesheva, Russia

Bronze: Amelie Kober, Germany

Men's snowboard cross

Gold: Pierre Vaultier, France

Silver: Nate Holland, USA

Bronze: Markus Schairer, Austria

Women's snowboard cross

Gold: Lindsey Jacobellis, USA

Silver: Helene Olafsen, Norway

Bronze: Maelle Ricker, Canada

BIATHLON

Spotlight will be on:Tim Burke, a World Cup overall points leader this season, will have U.S. fans tuning in to find out whether he can win the country's first Olympic biathlon medal. More likely is Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who owns nine medals, becoming the most decorated Winter Olympian.

Women's 7.5K sprint

Gold: Kati Wilhelm, Germany

Silver: Helena Jonsson, Sweden

Bronze: Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek, Sweden

Men's 10K

Gold: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway

Silver: Halvard Hanevold, Norway

Bronze: Michael Greis, Germany

Women's 12.5K mass start

Gold: Olga Zaitseva, Russia

Silver: Helena Jonsson, Sweden

Bronze: Simone Hauswald, Germany

Men's 15K mass start

Gold: Dominik Landertinger, Austria

Silver: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway

Bronze: Emil Hegle Svendsen, Norway

Women's 10K pursuit

Gold: Andrea Henkel, Germany

Silver: Magdalena Neuner, Germany

Bronze: Helena Jonsson, Sweden

Men's 12.5K pursuit

Gold: Evgeny Ustyugov, Russia

Silver: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway

Bronze: Maxim Tchoudov, Russia

Women's 15K individual

Gold: Helena Jonsson, Sweden

Silver: Kati Wilhelm, Germany

Bronze: Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek, Sweden

Men's 20K individual

Gold: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway

Silver: Michael Greis, Germany

Bronze: Christoph Sumann, Austria

Women's 4 x 6K relay

Gold: Germany

Silver: Russia

Bronze: France

Men's 4 x 7.5K relay

Gold: Norway

Silver: Germany

Bronze: Russia

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Spotlight will be on: A year ago,Kikkan Randallbecame the first U.S. woman to win a cross-country world championship medal, silver in freestyle sprint. Whether she can repeat will depend on if she can be as fast while skiing classical style in the Olympic sprint.

Men's 1.4-K classical sprint

Gold: Emil Joensson, Sweden

Silver: Ola Vigen Hattestad, Norway

Bronze: Nikita Kriukov, Russia

Women's 1.2K classical sprint

Gold: Petra Majdic, Slovenia

Silver: Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland

Bronze: Hanna Falk, Sweden

Men's 15K classical

Gold: Andrus Veerpalu, Estonia

Silver: Lukas Bauer, Czech Republic

Bronze: Jaak Mae, Estonia

Women's 10K classical

Gold: Marit Bjoergen, Norway

Silver: Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland

Bronze: Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland

Men's combined pursuit

Gold: Petter Northug, Norway

Silver: Marcus Hellner, Sweden

Bronze: Lukas Bauer, Czech Republic

Women's combined pursuit

Gold: Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland

Silver: Kristin Stoermer Steira, Norway

Bronze: Kristina Smigun-Vaehi, Estonia

Men's 50-K classical

Gold: Maxim Vylegzhanin, Russia

Silver: Giorgio Di Centa, Italy

Bronze: Petter Northug, Norway

Women's 30K classical

Gold: Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland

Silver: Kristin Stoermer Steira, Norway

Bronze: Evgenia Medvedeva, Russia

Men's 4x10-K relay

Gold: Norway

Silver: Germany

Bronze: Italy

Women's 4x5K relay

Gold: Norway

Silver: Germany

Bronze: Finland

Men's team sprint

Gold: Norway

Silver: Russia

Bronze: Sweden

Women's team sprint

Gold: Sweden

Silver: Finland

Bronze: Slovenia

NORDIC COMBINED

Spotlight will be on: The USA's Bill Demong, Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane have won world titles, with Demong's and Lodwick's coming last year. With that kind of history fresh on their résumés, the USA's first Olympic medal in the sport seems within reach.

Men's individual, normal hill

Gold: Magnus Moan, Norway

Silver: Felix Gottwald, Austria

Bronze: Eric Frenzel, Germany

Men's individual, large hill

Gold: Todd Lodwick, USA

Silver: Bill Demong, USA

Bronze: Jason Lamy Chappuis, France

Men's team

Gold: Germany

Silver: USA

Bronze: Japan

SKI CROSS

Spotlight will be on: The Winter Games' newest sport sends skiers downhill four at a time on a course filled with turns, bumps and jumps. Among those seeking first spoils will be the USA's Daron Rahlvesand Casey Puckett, both retired from Alpine skiing but not too old for roller derby on skis.

Men

Gold: Chris Del Bosco, Canada

Silver: Andreas Matt, Austria

Bronze: Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic

Women

Gold: Ophelie David, France

Silver: Ashleigh McIvor, Canada

Bronze: Kelsey Serwa, Canada

BOBSLED

Spotlight will be on: Steven Holcomb and his team last year broke the USA's 50-year world title drought in bobsled with the four-man world championship. A U.S. team hasn't won four-man Olympic gold since 1948. Two-time defending Olympic champion Andre Lange of Germany could foil them again.

Women's two-person

Gold: Kaillie Humphries, Canada

Silver: Cathleen Martini, Germany

Bronze: Shauna Rohbock, USA

Men's two-person

Gold: Beat Hefti, Switzerland

Silver: Andre Lange, Germany

Bronze: Pierre Lueders, Canada

Men's four-person

Gold: Andre Lange, Germany

Silver: Steven Holcomb, USA

Bronze: Janis Minins, Latvia

LUGE

Spotlight will be on: The USA's Erin Hamlin, whose world title last season ended a German winning streak at 99 international races, faces another daunting task. U.S. women never have medaled in luge in the Olympics, and German women have swept the podium at the last two Games.

Men's singles

Gold: Armin Zoeggeler, Italy

Silver: Felix Loch, Germany

Bronze: Albert Demtschenko, Russia

Women's singles

Gold: Natalie Geisenberger, Germany

Silver: Tatjana Huefner, Germany

Bronze: Erin Hamlin, USA

Men's doubles

Gold: Andre Florschuetz and Torsten Wustlich, Germany

Silver: Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger, Austria

Bronze: Alexander Resch and Patric-Fritz Leitner, Germany

SKELETON

Spotlight will be on: The USA's Noelle Pikus-Pace and Katie Uhlaender have impressive résumés — Pikus-Pace was the 2007 world champion; Uhlaender has won two World Cup season crowns — but they will have to overcome lackluster results this season to add Olympic success.

Men

Gold: Martins Dukurs, Latvia

Silver: Frank Rommel, Germany

Bronze: Jon Montgomery, Canada

Women

Gold: Mellissa Hollingsworth, Canada

Silver: Anja Huber, Germany

Bronze: Shelley Rudman, Great Britain