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CURLING CAPTURES THE IMAGINATIONCurling was neither a traditional nor a popular sport in Italy prior to the Olympic Winter Games Turin 2006, but Italians grew increasingly fascinated by the action taking place at the Ice Palace in Pinerolo over the course of the Games. The performance of ItalyÕs men Ð led by 22-year-old skip Jo‘l Retornaz, with his spiky hairstyle and designer glasses Ð particularly captured the imagination, and their shock victory over the USA unfolded in front of a stand full of roaring fans and a television audience of nearly five million viewers in Italy.MEMORABLE MOMENTSOLYMPIC SPIRIT ON SHOWThe womenÕs cross-country skiing team sprint event witnessed a memorable act of sportsmanship. When CanadaÕs Sara Renner snapped one of her poles during the opening leg of the competition, Norwegian head coach Bj¿rnar HOEkensmoen stepped in to lend her one of his. This allowed Renner to continue and helped Canada win silver, while Norway dropped into fourth place, just missing out on a medal. A Canadian businessman, Michael Page, subsequently donated 8,000 cans of maple syrup to the Norwegian Olympic Committee to express his gratitude.MEMORABLE MOMENTSDID YOU KNOW?The exciting sport of snowboard cross made its Olympic debut in Turin. Competitors raced against each other in groups of four on a course that included banked turns, jumps and difficult terrain. The first gold medals were won by Seth Wescott (USA) and Tanja Frieden (SUI).Prior to 2006, Turin was largely regarded as an industrial city, rather than a holiday destination, but the 2006 Olympic Winter Games helped shed that image, enabling the city to become a new hub for tourism and business by showcasing its rich history, culture and high-tech industry to the world. The city has since witnessed a considerable upturn in visitor numbers, owing much to the infrastructural improvements to road and rail links that were made ahead of the Games, as well as the expansion of TurinÕs airport. In 2000, Turin welcomed less than one million tourists but, 15 years on, the number has grown to six million. Thanks to the legacy of TurinÕs Olympic venues, the city has also been able to attract a growing number of major events, including the 2006 World Fencing Championships and the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships. Turin Olympic Park has been used regularly, and in the two years after the Games its venues hosted 187 events and 577,500 spectators.OLYMPIC LEGACYOLYMPIC REVIEW 71OLYMPIC FLASHBACK