At the closing ceremony of the Olympic yesterday, Vermontville, New York's Billy Demong was the U.S. flag bearer. But he also carried the banner as the first U.S. Olympic champion in Nordic sports.

Today was a day of celebration in Norwich, where Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney got a hometown hero's welcome.

The United States won their first ever gold medal in the Nordic sports when Billy Demong of Vermontville, New York and Johnny Spillane finished with gold and silver in a Nordic combined large hill competition.

We've been checking with Patrick Garrity of the Burlington Free Press from Vancouver during these 2010 Olympics and now that they're almost over we're catching up with him once more. This time, we talk hockey.

Shaftsbury's Andy Newell took part in the men's cross country 4 by 10 kilometer relay. But it was a disappointing run for the American team, they came in 13th, that's next to last place.

It was a great day for the U.S. Nordic Combined team, winning their first ever medal - a silver. Austria won the gold.

Local cross country skiers had a strong day yesterday in Olympic competition in Vancouver. The men and women's team sprint finals took place in warm weather, around 50 degrees, some spectators were wearing short-sleeved shirts.  

Vermont Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney will be honored with a hometown parade. Friday's parade will start in Hanover and end in Kearney's hometown of Norwich.

A big weekend for Franconia, New Hampshire's Bode Miller. He picked up a gold medal yesterday in the men's super-combined. It was an amazing run down the slalom portion of the race, after finishing seventh in the down hill portion.

Vermonters have had plenty of local heroes to root for in the 2010 Winter Olympics.  The Stratton Mountain School has Five alumni competing in this year's games, but so far the results have included a couple of big disappointments.

Vermont's streak of women's half-pipe gold came to an end last night when Australian Torah Bright defeated defending champion Hannah Teter of Belmont by 2.6 points to win the gold. Teter took the silver medal. The 2002 champion, Kelly Clark of West Dover fell on her first run and hit the deck on an awkward landing on her second but still took bronze.

Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn made history with an  Olympic gold in downhill  yesterday.  This has commentator LeeLee Black Goodson thinking about women, sports, and ski racing.

Vermont's presence at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games continues to be felt.

VPR's Sarah Ashworth visits with members of the Mount Mansfield Union High School Nordic team, which is one of the state's most successful ski teams.

A big disappointment for Shaftsbury's Andy Newell yesterday. The U.S. favorite crashed in the qualification round of the men's cross-country individual sprint classic and didn't advance to the quarterfinals. He'll have another chance to compete in the team event. Newell ranked 45th overall.

VPR's Patti Daniels talks to a group of students at the Green Mountain Valley School in Fayston, a ski academy, about what drives them to compete.

Hannah Kearney of Norwich won Gold in the womens' moguls Saturday. VPR's Mitch Wertlieb caught up with a tired but happy and gracious Kearney by cell phone at the Athlete's Village in Vancouver, and asked her if she was concerned about the conditions before the race.

Another big disappointment for Stratton Mountain's Lindsey Jacobellis. The U.S. snowboardcross favorite lost her balance after a jump and went outside a gate in the semifinals to get disqualified.

Patrick Garrity of the Burlington Free Press is in Vancouver reporting on the 2010 Olympic games.

VPR's Sarah Ashworth visits the Triple Loop shop in Essex Junction that specializes in making figure skating costumes.