Their holiday package included entry into several events - the women's downhill, curling, ice hockey, figure skating, free dance, freestyle aerials and the Nordic combined.

BBC: Supporters on the sidelines

To design the suit gold medalist Billy Demong wore in Vancouver during Nordic Combined, which involves both ski jumping and cross-country, Flanagan and his team created a digital avatar of Demong's body and used computer imaging to determine the most aerodynamic pattern for stitching the suit.

WSJ: U.S. Ski Team Pins Hopes for Sochi on Science

"Part of the investment that Russia has made is not only what the world will see in Russia, but also they're building a winter paradise that they hope to showcase through the Olympic broadcast and attract tourism in the future, " says 2010 Vancouver champion Bill Demong, who competed at a Nordic combined skiing test event in Sochi last weekend.

CNN: February 8, 2013 -- Updated 1159 GMT (1959 HKT)

The Nordic countries, together with Ireland, have a combined population of close to 30 million.

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