The must have book for Salt Lake City 2002 and the ultimate source for statistics, scores, and the most dramatic stories in Winter Olympic history

In this brand new updated edition of The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics, complete with trilling photographs of the unforgettable moments from Olympic history, David Wallechinsky puts the Salt Lake City game into perspective with backgrounds, stories, and statistics from every Winter Olympics since the Chamonix games of 1924.

When the Salt Lake City Olympics opens on February 8, 2002, it will be the biggest Winter Games in history, with 10 new events and a record number of participating athletes and countries. Will the trend that has seen the Unites States Alpine Skiing team shut out of gold metals at every Winter Games held in the United States continue, or will veterans Erik Schlopy and Picabo Street or some surprise upstart be able to topple the perennial favorites from Switzerland and Austria Can anyone finally dislodge the Russians from the pinnacle of pairs figure skating success Will there be another "Miracle on Ice" This is the indispensible source for insights into all of these gripping behind-the-scenes stories.

What controversial figure skating scoring decision caused a power surge in England, as frustrated viewers rushed to their stoves to prepare a calming pot of tea

What four-man bobsled team had a member facing the wrong direction

Which downhill skier earned the record for the largest margin of defeat, finishing more than eight minutes behind the eventual winner

Which Brian won the heated "battle of the Brians"

Who was the oldest gold metalist The youngest

The ultimate Olympic source book . . . Los Angeles Times

A staggering compendium of results, highlights, and oddments dating from the first modern games in 1896 . . . Few reference books qualify as good bedtime reading but The Complete Book of the Olympics by David Wallechinsky is an exception. Wall Street Journal

An indispensable addition to the shelves of both sportswriters and serious fans . . . An extremely meticulous one might even say Olympian piece of scholarship. The New York Times Book Review

David Wallechinsky is a renowned Olympics historian and NBC Radio s color commentator for the Olympics and the acclaimed author of a number of bestselling reference books, including The People s Almanac Presents the Twentieth Century (Overlook), and The Book of Lists. He has written pieces for The New York Times Magazine and Parade and has appeared on television shows as diverse as Late Night with David Letterman, Nightline, CBS Evening News, and PBS s News Hour with Jim Lehrer. He divides his time between Santa Monica, California, and the south of France.