The second time the games were held in Canada, these were a lot of fun to watch, largely due to participants like ski-jumper Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team.

Like almost all other games it saddled the host country with a debt, this despite the claims by the Calgary Olympic Committee that they had a multi-million dollar surplus. That was true, but only if you don't count massive federal spending to stage the event. If you do, there is a fairly substantial loss, in the neighborhood of half a billion.

And just like the Montreal Olympics, most of the infrastructure was underused within a few months of the games ends, and the host country drew a blank in the gold medal column.

Makes one wonder why Vancouver wanted to go for the hat-trick in getting the 2010 games.

Simple and effective... the first winter olympics planned on two full weeks and with opening and closing ceremonies outdoor just like the summer olympics.