1. GET PSYCHED ABOUT SWEDEN

2. The defending gold medalists are back and better than ever! He is joined by Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg, who is ready to be a leader. HOCKEY: LIDSTROM LEADS THE WAY Captain Nicklas Lidstrom scored the gold winning goal in Torino in 2006. He won the NHL title with Detroit in 2008. He’s hungry for another gold.

3. Ice Hockey: Ready to Defend Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is entering his prime. Sweden needs him to step up big time. Other NHL stars include Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals), and Henrik and Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks). They will have home- ice advantage. The team will face stiff competition from Russia, Canada, and (even) the USA, but Sweden is ready to defend its title. Former NHL stud Peter Forsberg is on the team as well.

4. Curling??? Women’s Curling??? One player “throws” a stone by sliding it across the ice (like shuffleboard). Two players use tools called brooms to smooth the ice out while the stone is sliding. There is a bulls-eye with circles around it called the house that players aim for. You get eight throws, and a bocce ball- like scoring system is used. In the last seven world championships, Sweden is 61-23 (2 golds, two silvers, and a bronze). They are at their best in big games. Since hardly anyone knows what curling is, here’s a small synopses of it. Sweden’s women’s curling team won gold in 2006. Skip Annette Norberg leads the team.

5. Biathlon Stud Her first World Cup victory was in the 2006-2007 Biathlon World Cup. She also won gold at the World Championships in Pyeongchang in 2009 in the 10K pursuit. The Associated Press has Swede Helena Jonsson winning gold in the 10K pursuit and the 15K individual. At just age 25, she is peaking early, but is more than ready for the challenge. Helena competes in a unique sport which combines cross- country skiing and rifle shooting.

6. ALPINE MAGIC At the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, she has won a gold in all four Alpine Events (Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, Downhill). Lindsey Vonn (USA) is clearly the best, but Anja Parson will give her a run for her money. Sports Illustrated has Parson winning gold in the Super-Combined and bronze in the Downhill (Vonn is a contender in both). In Turin in 2006, she took home gold in the slalom. She began her career as a specialist in the slalom and Giant Slalom. Current Residing Country: Monaco

7. IS THERE A MAN IN SWEDEN CAPABLE OF WINNING A MEDAL? Sports Illustrated has Sweden winning bronze in the Team Sprint (cross-country skiing). They took gold in 2006. Emil Jonsson, a cross-country skier is picked by SI to win gold in the 1.4K sprint. He has 2 FIS Cup victories. There are four world cup wins to his name. Three of them have come in Canada. Cross-country skier Marcus Hellner can make a run at Norwegian trash-talker Petter Northug Jr. in the 30K pursuit. No one expects him to, but he is a safe pick as a bronze or silver medalist.

8. MORE CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING? ISN’T THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A BORING EVENT? Charlotte Kalla is the predicted silver medalist in the 10K freestyle. The streak may be broken if she can upset Marit Bjoergen of Norway. In what I have coined the Scandinavian Sweep, Sports Illustrated has the Swedish winning gold in the 4 X 5K relay (Norway: silver, Finland: bronze). The Swedish women are projected to win gold in the Team Sprint (freestyle), where they won gold in Turin. No Swedish woman has won gold in any individual cross- country event since 1968, but…

9. JUST FOLLOWING FOR FUN? From the “Scandinavian Sweep”, none of those three countries medaled in Torino. Helena Jonsson’s dad fined her 10 cents for every missed target in rifle practice. Skiers Anna Haag (cross-country skiing) and Jesper Bjornlund (moguls) have a good shot at a bronze or beyond, though each must face powerhouses to do so. Lundqvist is a member of the outstanding rookie class (NHL) from 2005-2006. The only two players that could be considered better than him are each team leaders in the Olympics, and they are archrivals: Sidney Crosby (Canada) and Alexander Ovechkin (Russia).