Rivals Canada, US have their own power battle (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 15, 2010, 4:36 GMT

Whistler, Canada - American Hannah Kearney's victory over Jenn Heil in the Olympic women's moguls was more than just hosts Canada nearly missing out on a first gold medal at a home Games.

It was also just the start of a heated rivalry between two North American powers battling at the Vancouver Games to overtake Germany atop the medals standings.

Alexandre Bilodeau put a lot right for Canada when he won the men's moguls freestyle skiing title a day later, not only clinching that cherished gold but leaving American Bryon Wilson behind him in third place.

But it is in women's ice hockey that Canada-U.S. rivalry is at its greatest.

The US women are two-time defending world champions, having beaten 2007 world champions Canada in the 2008 and 2009 finals. And either the United States or Canada has won every title since women began playing at the worlds in 1990 and the Olympics in 1998.

Even better, the United States - 1998 Olympic champs - and Canada - the two-time reigning Olympic title holders - faced off in the final of all of those tournaments except the 2006 Olympics, where the US were shocked by Sweden in the semi-finals.

Team USA will have the extra motivation of trying to knock off Canada at their home Games just like the Canadians did at 2002 Salt Lake City.

Both sides of the hockey clash agree that the relationship between the North Americans is cordial with a scent of feistiness.

'I don't know if I even know what level it's going to get to, but I know right now it's heated and it's fun,' said Canadian defender Carla MacLeod.

'I think it's an interesting dynamic in that a lot of us are good friends off the ice. But on the ice, it's a little bit of a bloodbath.'

'Playing Canada is like Christmas for me,' admitted four-time US Olympian Angie Ruggiero.

'One of the exciting things about the sport is how close this rivalry is when it comes to talent. It's all about who can pull it together for one game. I feel like we're in a really good position.'

The two teams are on a collision course for the final with both opening the competition with dominating victories - Canada a record 18-0 win over Slovakia and the US blasting China 12-1.

But women's ice hockey is hardly the only sport where Canada and the US will butt heads. Both nations are strong medal contenders in snowboard, freestyle skiing, skeleton and alpine skiing.

That fact makes winning all the more important, especially for Canada which look for bragging rights despite having just one-tenth the neighbour's population.

'We don't apologize for going to the Olympic Games to win,' said Chris Rudge, the Canadian Olympic Committee's CEO.

'For many years we seemed to have an attitude that just showing up and being nice persons was the Canadian thing to do. We had to change our attitude and be aggressive.'

Part of that aggressiveness was investing more than 110 million dollars in the Own The Podium program to support medal contenders.

And the Americans welcome the challenge.

'There's no doubt the US and Canada are going to be rivals more so than in a long time. This may be the biggest story of the games,' said US Olympic Committee spokesman Bob Condron.

After decades of European nations dominating winter sports, the North American duo is ready to storm to the top of the medals table. In 2006, the Americans finished second to Germany with 25 medals and Canada were third with 23.

'If you hear The Star-Spangled Banner or O Canada a lot, this is a good thing. It's great to have a rival. ... I'd like nothing better than for us and our North American friends to be one and two in the world, and fight for number one,' added Condron.