With the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Olympic Winter Games set for Feb. 12, 2010, here's a look at the American athletes who are expected to author some of the most memorable moments on the snow and ice of Canada during 17 days in Vancouver.

Shaun White, Snowboarding: With a 2006 Olympic halfpipe title, captivating talent in two sports (snowboarding and skateboarding) and a sizable shock of red hair, the charismatic California native has become the face of action sports. But ascending to that lofty status has not been easy - White was born with a heart defect that required two major surgeries at a young age, and his family used to sleep in a van to save money while traveling for his snowboarding career. At his second Games in Vancouver, the king of snowboarding has a clear objective: become the first competitor in his sport's brief Olympic history to successfully defend the Olympic halfpipe crown.

Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing: In 2008-09, she became the first American woman - and second American ever - to win consecutive alpine skiing overall World Cup titles, but Vonn may be best known for her fearless recovery from a crash at the 2006 Torino Games. Two days after being hospitalized in a vicious downhill training fall, Vonn - spurred on by a visit from her idol and mentor, 1998 Olympic super-G champion Picabo Street - elected to race in the Olympic downhill. The Minnesota native finished eighth in that race, but the return from hospital to mountainside spoke volumes about her competitive spirit. She didn't win a medal in Torino (or at her first Olympic appearance in Salt Lake City), but Vonn - the 2009 downhill and super-G world champion - has established herself as a multi-medal threat in timely fashion for an Olympic breakthrough in Vancouver.