The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Turin 2006 or Torino 2006, was a winter multi-sport event which was held in Turin, Piedmont, Italy from 10 to 26 February 2006. This marked the second time that Italy had hosted the Winter Olympic Games, the first being the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Italy also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1960 in Rome. Turin was selected as the host city for the 2006 Games in June 1999.
The United States Olympic Committee sent 204 athletes to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Chris Witty, a four-time Olympian, who competed in both Summer and Winter games, and won a gold medal in speed skating at the 2002 Games, served as the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. Speed skater Joey Cheek, who won gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m, was the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies. One athlete, Sarah Konrad, became the first American woman to compete in two different disciplines at the same Winter Olympics – biathlon and cross-country skiing.
Australia competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The team of 40 athletes was the largest ever for Australia, surpassing the team of 31 that participated at the 1960 Winter Olympics.
New Zealand competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Sweden sent 112 athletes to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin trying to win their first gold medal since the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. A total of 99 athletes were selected, and they competed in nine of the fifteen Winter Olympic sports. When the medals were summed up, Sweden had managed seven gold medals, two silver and five bronze, making it Sweden's best result ever in the Winter Olympics in terms of both medals and gold medals earned, and gave Sweden a 6th place in the medal table.
Switzerland competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. This was the confederation's largest Winter Olympics team ever, because two ice hockey teams qualified.
Argentina competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Isabel Clark Ribeiro, a snowboarder, carried the flag at the opening ceremonies. Clark is also the Brazilian athlete who achieved the best result in the Brazilian delegation, making it to the quarterfinals in women's snowboard cross, finishing ninth overall.
Chile competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Austria competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
The Czech Republic competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Speed skater Martina Sáblíková served as flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. The medal hopes were set on ice hockey team, Jakub Janda in ski jumping, Kateřina Neumannová in cross-country skiing and on Sáblíková. As for hockey team, the bronze medal was less than most of Czech fans awaited before the olympic, and more than they hoped for after the group stage. But the strongest moment for Czech sport fans was unbelievable finish of Kateřina Neumannová in cross-country skiing, where she on the last meters of 30 km run got from the third to first position. It was her last Olympic start and it was finally a gold one, and the view of her little daughter running to her as the first to congratulate will be a lasting moment of Turin 2006.
Estonia sent 28 athletes to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Half of them competed in cross-country skiing, where Estonia won all of their three Turin Olympic medals. Olympic champion Andrus Veerpalu participated on his 5th Winter Olympics.
Uzbekistan competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Slovakia competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Spain competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Turkey competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Ukraine competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Three men from South Africa competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. One of them, Alexander Heath, became the first African to compete in all 5 alpine events. The three-man South African team was the largest from the continent in Turin.
Tajikistan sent a delegation to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy from 10–26 February 2010. This was the second time Tajikistan had participated in a Winter Olympic Games. The Tajikistani delegation consisted of one alpine skier, Andrei Drygin. He finished 51st in both the super-G and the downhill.
Slovenia competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
