After record-breaking day for Americans at the Winter Olympics, athletes think medaling will help grow their sport

Chicagoan Shani Davis became the first U.S. male speedskater to win back-to-back gold medals Wednesday in the 1000m long track race -- his contribution to the record-breaking day for American medals in the Winter Olympics with six U.S. medalists.

Davis, not a member of U.S. Speedskating, competed as a "world citizen," and thinks that his win, along with fellow 1000m medalist Chad Hedrick for Team USA (bronze), will help to "make speedskating grow in America."

"I think the sport is going to grow because there is a lot of attention [on it] here in Vancouver," Davis said. He noted how Salt Lake City was a great Olympics, and Torino, "was...Torino."

"But it could grow within America because we're on the same schedule. That was primetime tonight, so people watching speedskating saw it primetime [when coming home from work or school]. It has a more instant effect, being here."

Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn took the gold for the U.S. and teammate Julia Mancuso took silver. The others were snowboarders Shaun White for the halfpipe with gold and teammate Scotty Lago, who took bronze.

The medalists from all three sports, like Davis, talked about how their sport will grow from this success at the 2010 Games. Mancuso said that going forward in U.S. Skiing, "I think by both of us sharing the podium, I hope it opens the eyes to be not just about Lindsay but to be really about the U.S. Skiing [program]...and Bode [Miller] getting the podium also in the downhill was really exciting. I think we're all just loving our sport and doing a great job so I am excited about that."

Vonn said she hopes the American presence at the podium will inspire young athletes, " I think it'll give a lot of inspiration and motivation to young kids. I hope this helps because I love what I do and I'm lucky to be able to do it."

Scotty Lago said that his [and White's] win will help get snowboarding onto the same level as the other popular Olympic sports, to which White replied, "I think it has."

But they both agreed that snowboarding is "different from the other sports...it's a culture. That enjoyment changes when we get here," Lago said.

White, the returning Olympian (2010 was Lago's first Games), said that "half the fun was just getting dressed up to go to lunch...It was bananas. I felt like papa bear [with all the first-timers]. But once you're at the top of the pipe is when it all changes."