Venezuela at the 1998 Winter Olympics but never won a medal at the Winter Olympics. These Winter Olympics were held from 7–22 February 1998; a total of 2,176 athletes represented 72 National Olympic Committees. The only athlete Venezuela sent to Nagano was a luger, Iginia Boccalandro. She was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Iginia Boccalandro was 36 years old at the time of the Nagano Olympics, and was making her Olympic debut. Before the Games, the Salt Lake City, Utah resident claimed that "I'm too old and fat"; she said her real goal was the 2002 Winter Olympics, by which time she would have
Russia at the Olympics the Unified Team in 1992, and finally returned once again as "Russia" at the 1994 Winter Olympics. The Russian Olympic Committee was created in 1991 and recognized in 1993. The Soviet Union hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and the Russian Federation hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In six appearances Russian athletes have won a total of 428 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and another 120 at the Winter Olympic Games. Over the most recent twelve Games (since 1994), Russia's 548 total medals, including 196 gold medals, are second only to the United States. All Summer