Before the Winter Olympics landed in Salt Lake City in 2002, the United States entered the games like most host countries do - with the hope the home atmosphere can lift their team over the hump and into the Olympic gold hunt.
The U.S. Winter Olympic teams had never matched the success of their summer counterparts. There were the figure skating stars and the occasional hockey team miracle but it was the athletes in the summer games who became the stars and brought home the medals.
Then the cold, crisp winds in Salt Lake City changed direction.
In the 18 previous Olympics to Salt Lake City, the U.S. had never won more than 13 medals and hadn't finished higher than fifth in the medal count since 1980.
But something about that American soil sparked a fire in the Olympians who donned the red, white and blue in 2002. By the end of the games, 34 Americans had stood upon the Olympic podiums, where 10 held their gold medals to the echoing sounds of the Star Spangled Banner, the most in U.S. Winter Olympic history.
Because the American athletes still finished second on the their home turf, the U.S. team turned their heads to the snowy slopes of northern Italy for 2006, with one goal in mind - winning it all.
Tonight's opening ceremonies of the 20th Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, signify the beginning of what could be another large step into the history books for a talented U.S. squad.
The approximately 215 athletes wearing the American flag tonight will be bounded by the expectations to accomplish what they did in Utah, but now on foreign soil.
Most of the stars from 2002 return again this year, searching for another chance at Olympic glory: Skier Bode Miller, speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, snowboarder Shaun White and figure skating's newest queen, Sasha Cohen.
The four are favorites to grab golds in their respective events but will it be enough to push the U.S. past another talented German team and to hold off competition from 84 other nations?
The U.S. will need surprises in events such as cross-country skiing and the biathlon while succeeding in the events their expected to do well in such as alpine skiing and short-track speedskating.
There will be more than 2,500 athletes competing during the next 17 days, more than ever before. The U.S. is also entering the games with the most expectations ever given to an American winter team.
After the Olympic flame burns no more and the final medallion is placed around the neck of the last gold medalist, the U.S. hopes it has accomplished what it came for - to make sure the next four years are spent celebrating and not waiting for another chance.
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