Today in sports history

Twenty years ago today, the 15th Winter Olympic Games opened in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Among the highlights were Italy's Alberto Tomba winning two gold medals in alpine skiing, Matti Nykanen from Finland winning three golds in ski jumping, and Dutch speed skater Yvonne van Gennip getting three golds and setting two world records.

And two cult heroes were created: Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, a British ski jumper; and the Jamaican bobsled team. Neither had much experience or any real chance of finishing higher than last place, but both earned widespread acclaim just for getting to Calgary and doing their thing. God bless you, Eddie the Eagle and Jamaican bobsledders.

The United States won exactly six medals: two golds, one silver and three bronzes.