The medal hopes were set on speed skater Martina Sáblíková, cross-country skier Lukáš Bauer, freestyle skier Tomáš Kraus and alpine skier Šárka Záhrobská. As for ice hockey team, the expectations were less ambitious than at previous Olympics and this became true when the Czech teams went out in the quarterfinals. The games of Vancouver were with six medals the most successful in history of independent Czech Republic, equalling the medal count of its predecessor Czechoslovakia from Sarajevo 1984 but surpassing it in quality. The most successful Czech participant (and also the flag bearer during the closing ceremony) was speed skater Martina Sáblíková with two gold and one bronze medal.