Could it be any better than this?

Canada — host country of the Vancouver Games and Our Favorite Neighbors — comes away with the highest tally of gold medals.

Also, a stunning OT win over the US hockey team.

The US, meanwhile, comes away with the highest overall tally of medals, beating the second-place Germans by a whopping seven medals.

North America scored a whopping 67 medals overall, humbling the mighty Europeans and Asians.

Here's a warm, heartfelt tip of the hat to Canada.

Thanks for having us over for a great couple of weeks of fantastic sport.

Long after we've forgotten the rain, we'll remember the fierce, passionate competition and the neighborly spirit.

Great job, Canada!

We reported this morning that Bill Demong — besides winning America's first gold medal in an Olympic Nordic ski event — also proposed to his girlfriend yesterday in Whistler. The Albany Times Union has some touching details, attributed to theskichannel.com:

The U.S. Ski Team House in Whistler, BC was packed tonight as friends and family gathered to celebrate Billy Demong's Nordic Combined gold medal and U.S. Teammate Johnny Spillane's silver.

When Demong took the mic many expected him to thank his loved ones for their support in helping make his Olympic dreams come true. Demong's gold is the first ever Nordic Olympic gold medal won for the USA.

Instead, Demong called his girlfriend Katie to the stage, and as he got down on one knee, onlookers screamed. The cheering was so loud in fact that Demong's proposal was barely audible.

Demong had been waiting for the right moment to propose for nearly three months, and kept the ring under his bed. Today, before the race, he carried the diamond to the start in a bag with his race gear, and figured there was no better time to propose.

Jeez.

Here's Vermontville's Bill Demong holding the gold. Thanks to Nancie Battaglia for the amazing images. Demong was chosen to bear the flag at Sunday's closing ceremony.

From the Associated Press:

The U.S. Olympic Committee announced Thursday night that Demong had been selected by fellow American Olympians. Earlier in the day, he won the country's first gold medal in a Nordic sport. Demong was part of a 1-2 finish for the United States in the large hill competition at Nordic combined.

Demong, who also proposed to his girlfriend Thursday night, called it "a whirlwind of a day."

Over on our news page, you'll find a ton of information and photographs about North Country Olympians.

But I wanted to show you a couple of joyous parent faces. There on the right is Helen Demong, Bill Demong's mom.

Below (the bearded guy in the middle) is Leo Demong, Bill's dad.

I'm guessing being a parent doesn't get much better than that.

Photo credits: Nancie Battaglia & ORDA

Corrected…

Thanks to Bill Demong and Andrew Weibrecht, two northern New York villages — Lake Placid and Saranac Lake — now account for 10% of the United States' medal tally.

Demong claimed a gold and a silver in two Nordic combined events. Weibrecht, a downhill skier, captured a bronze in the Super G.

Three decades after the last Olympic Games in Lake Placid, the Adirondacks remain an undisputed winter sport powerhouse.

Demong's victory was the first gold in U.S. history in Nordic combined — a historic feat in a sport dominated by the Europeans and Scandinavians.

Weibrecht, who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, is the young face of America's downhill ski program.

The celebration parades begin tomorrow at 4pm in Lake Placid, as Weibrecht will be heralded. A parade is also planned for Saranac Lake.

…in the individual Nordic Combined long hill 10k event today — from the offical website results, it looks like Vermontville native Bill Demong won the gold medal on the strength of the cross country ski leg. He was sixth in the jumping portion of the event earlier this afternoon.
And his team mate Johnny Spillane took the silver medal.
Count on more during the 8 O'Clock Hour…

This just in from our Program Director, Jackie Sauter. On today's show, "The Story" recalls the pre-cursor to the famous Lake Placid "miracle." At 2 o'clock.

THE FIRST MIRACLE ON ICE

Before the U.S. Olympic hockey team came out of nowhere to win gold in 1980, there was the 1960 U.S. team. Dick Meredith was one of the players. They were not expected to even medal at the games, but the team went undefeated, and captured the gold. Dick talks with Dick Gordon about what it was like to play that unforgettable series of games in Squaw Valley, Calif. fifty years ago.

Read the love here.

In one of the most exciting finishes of the Vancouver Olympics, Bill Demong and his American Nordic combined team claimed a silver medal.

That brings the medal count for the North Country to 2 — one medal behind Japan!

Wahoo!