--- title: Blog | American entrepreneurism description: American entrepreneurism | Providing Private Equity, Technology and Market Due Diligence, and Business Advisory Services to venture capital, legal, corporate, government and research organizations around the globe --- [![Semaphore - Private Equity funds-under-management and technology and market due diligence](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-1633455679-jpg/Sema_4usa/Semaphore_Private_Equity_funds-under-management_technology_and_market_due_diligence_logo1.jpg)](http://www.sema4usa.com/) [![Semaphore - Private Equity funds-under-management and technology and market due diligence](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-1665728779-png/images/logo.png)](http://www.sema4usa.com/) ![Boston London New York](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-15279406-gif/images/banner_boston_london_new-york.gif) ## [American Entrepreneurism Takes Gold in Vancouver](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/bid/34442/American-Entrepreneurism-Takes-Gold-in-Vancouver) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) *Posted by Jon Klein of The Topline Strategy Group on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 @ 10:45AM * **By Jon Klein** Though only 177 of the total 258 Olympic medals have been awarded so far, with Germany and the United States still battling  for medal supremacy (as of February 23, the US had 26 medals and Germany 23), the real winner of the 2010 games has already been decided : American entrepreneurism. From 1964 until 2002, the United States' performance in the Winter Games could only be described as dismal. During that period, the US ranked no higher than 3rd and as low as 9th in the medal count and only earned between 5% and 10% of all medals awarded. **US Winter Olympic Performance Lagged from 1964 to 1998, but Has Improved Dramatically Since** ![](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-15280981-jpg/images/us_olympics_blog_post_-_chart_1.jpg) However, US fortunes started to change in 2002, when the country ranked 3rd in the medal count and won an impressive 14.5% of the medals awarded. In 2006, the US rose to 2nd in the medal count and as of February 23rd, US performance at the 2010 Games has hit its highest water mark since 1952, ranking 1st in the medal count and winning 14.7% of the medals. So what happened to transform the US from Winter Olympics straggler to the champion of the games? If you think the reason is that a group of premiere Luge academies and Biathalon camps were established in the US to improve our training, guess again.  The answer is that over the last 20 years, the US has innovated its way to the top of the medal count. Of the 15 Olympic sports contested in Vancouver, one-third of them made their Olympic debut during or after the 1992 games: Snowboarding, Freestyle Skiing, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, and Curling. The three of them that award the most medals (Snowboarding, Freestyle and Short Track) were primarily invented in the US and the US remains the unquestioned leader in these events. **2010 Winter Olympic Sports by the Year They Debuted in the Olympics ** ![](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-15281507-jpg/images/us_olympics_blog_post_-_chart_3.jpg?width=426&height=203&name=us_olympics_blog_post_-_chart_3.jpg) *Notes: Despite Skeleton's presence in 1928 and 1948, the more relevant year for this analysis is 2002, the date it returned to competition. Mass Start Speed Skating, the forerunner to today's Short Track, was the popular form of the sport in the US and included in the 1932 Lake Placid games.* The impact of these events on US performance cannot be overstated. Of the 2010 medals awarded in these sports, the US has won an astounding 25% of the total. Without them, instead of ranking 1st in the medal standings, the US would be tied for 2nd with Norway, 6 medals behind Germany. **Performance of the Top 3 Medal Winners by Date the Sport Debuted in the Olympics** ![](https://prev.sema4usa.com/hs-fs/file-15281267-jpg/images/us_olympics_blog_post_-_chart_2.jpg) So what does this all mean? First, it means that we get to mingle great entertainment with national pride. For me, the highlight of the Games has been Shaun White winning the Half Pipe with a performance head and shoulders above everyone else. Second, and more importantly, it is a reminder that the strength of our country comes from our entrepreneurial spirit. These sports were invented in the US and through the hard work and dedication of the sports' innovators, generated a worldwide following that ultimately led to their inclusion in the Olympic games.                             ___________________________________________ Jon is the founder and general partner of The Topline Strategy Group, a strategy consulting and market research firm specializing in emerging technologies.  Jon brings a unique blend of strategy consulting and hands on operating experience to The Topline Strategy Group and works closely with Semaphore on a variety of engagements. 4 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/bid/34442/American-Entrepreneurism-Takes-Gold-in-Vancouver#comments-listing) Topics: [entrepreneurs](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/entrepreneurs), [American entrepreneurism](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/american-entrepreneurism), [Olympics](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/olympics) [All Posts](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/all) ### Subscribe by Email ### Most Popular Posts ### Browse by Tag - [American entrepreneurism (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/american-entrepreneurism) - [analysis (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/analysis) - [Announcements (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/announcements) - [Biotech (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/biotech) - [BOSS (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/boss) - [business (5)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/business) - [business advisory (4)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/business-advisory) - [Business Operations (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/business-operations) - [Corporate Growth Planning (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/corporate-growth-planning) - [diligence (13)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/diligence) - [due diligence (12)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/due-diligence) - [entrepreneurs (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/entrepreneurs) - [equity (10)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/equity) - [ethical standards (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/ethical-standards) - [ethics (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/ethics) - [finance advice (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/finance-advice) - [funds under management (6)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/funds-under-management) - [general partners (14)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/general-partners) - [growth equity investments (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/growth-equity-investments) - [ILPA (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/ilpa) - [ILPA Principles (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/ilpa-principles) - [investment (11)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/investment) - [Life Sciences (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/life-sciences) - [limited partners (14)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/limited-partners) - [LP (5)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/lp) - [market (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/market) - [market diligence (11)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/market-diligence) - [market diligence; law firms; (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/market-diligence-law-firms) - [new markets tax credits (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/new-markets-tax-credits) - [Olympics (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/olympics) - [operations (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/operations) - [Pipeline Interviews (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/pipeline-interviews) - [portfolio company (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/portfolio-company) - [private equity (6)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/private-equity) - [private equity funds (16)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/private-equity-funds) - [SBIR (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/sbir) - [Semaphore (22)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/semaphore) - [small businesses (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/small-businesses) - [Strategy Services (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/strategy-services) - [Survey (10)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/survey) - [technology (12)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/technology) - [Technology Assessment (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/technology-assessment) - [technology diligence (7)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/technology-diligence) - [troubled funds (12)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/troubled-funds) - [turnaround (4)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/turnaround) - [valley of death (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/valley-of-death) - [VC (7)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/vc) - [Venture Capital (17)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/venture-capital) - [venture funds (9)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/topic/venture-funds) ### Posts by Month - [June 2010 (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/06) - [April 2011 (3)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/04) - [November 2009 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2009/11) - [December 2009 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2009/12) - [January 2010 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/01) - [February 2010 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/02) - [July 2010 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/07) - [September 2010 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/09) - [October 2010 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/10) - [December 2013 (2)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2013/12) - [March 2010 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2010/03) - [January 2011 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/01) - [March 2011 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/03) - [September 2011 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/09) - [October 2011 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/10) - [December 2011 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2011/12) - [February 2012 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2012/02) - [July 2012 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2012/07) - [November 2012 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2012/11) - [January 2013 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [April 2013 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2013/04) - [May 2013 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2013/05) - [July 2013 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2013/07) - [February 2014 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2014/02) - [August 2014 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2014/08) - [December 2014 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2014/12) - [February 2015 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2015/02) - [August 2015 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2015/08) - [January 2016 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2016/01) - [February 2016 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2016/02) - [August 2016 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2016/08) - [January 2017 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2017/01) - [February 2017 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2017/02) - [August 2017 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2017/08) - [January 2018 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2018/01) - [February 2018 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2018/02) - [February 2019 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2019/02) - [February 2020 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2020/02) - [February 2021 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2021/02) - [January 2022 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2022/01) - [February 2022 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2022/02) - [February 2023 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2023/02) - [February 2024 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2024/02) - [February 2025 (1)](https://prev.sema4usa.com/blog/archive/2025/02) - [Home ](http://www.sema4usa.com/)| - [Services ](http://www.sema4usa.com/Technology-Diligence-and-Funds-Under-Management-Services/)| - [About Us ](http://www.sema4usa.com/About-our-Funds-Under-Management-and-Technology-and-Market-Due-Diligence/)| - [Semaphore Client List ](http://www.sema4usa.com/semaphore-client-list/)| - [Blog ](http://www.sema4usa.com/blog/)| - [Contact Semaphore ](http://www.sema4usa.com/contact-semaphore/)| - [Semaphore Connections ](http://www.sema4usa.com/semaphore-connections/) © 2020 Semaphore. All rights reserved.