21.   Kostelic, a medal contender in two more races later this week, added a silver medal to the gold she won in the Alpine combined.

22.   Medal contenders Norway and China were lumped in with the Americans.

23.   Nigeria was in a tough bracket in which it lost close games to Argentina and Australia, medal contenders both.

24.   Nancy Napolski and Elizabeth Bourland will represent the U.S., and both are considered medal contenders. . . .

25.   No one besides Irina Slutskaya, the Russian skater who is also a medal contender, has pulled off such a technically difficult combination in a competition.

26.   Now they are only one of many medal contenders.

27.   Nicolas Huet and Matthieu Bozzetto are medal contenders among the men.

28.   Sarah Schleper, Kirsten Clark and Caroline Lalive are also strong medal contenders.

29.   She went into the previous Olympic Trials ranked as a legitimate medal contender in Atlanta in three separate events.

30.   She finished second to Kwan at nationals and is considered a medal contender.