23 Feb 2010

Germany surges to top of Olympic medal table

6:52 pm on 23 February 2010

Germany's surged to the top of the Winter Olympics medals table alongside the United States while the host nation Canada struggles with a demoralising ice hockey defeat and diminishing medal hopes.

Germany won gold in the women's cross country team sprint to go level with the United States at seven gold medals apiece in 10 days of Olympic competition.

Norway, is third with six gold.

But Canadians are still struggling to come to terms with their side's 5-3 loss to the US in the men's ice hockey competition.

It was the most viewed sports programme in Canadian television history, with 21.5 million people, almost 65 percent of the population, watching at least some of the match.