If Superman entered the 2006 Winter Olympics, how many medals could he win?
I suppose he couldn’t compete in the ladies events. But, taking into consideration scheduling problems, what’s the maximum number of events he could compete in and win?
Also, would he be allowed to compete as a Kryptonian, or would he have to claim US citizenship in order to compete?
I’m not sure he was ever naturalized as a US Citizen.
I’ve seen him race the Flash, but that was non-sanctioned.
Krypton is not a nation recognized by the International Olympic Comittee. However, there seems to be a great deal of flexibility in what recognized nation an athlete can represent (it’s not limited to citizenship), and even if Superman is not technically an American citizen (there are several good arguments that he is), he could and probably would still be able to represent the US in the Olympics.
That said, here’s the schedule, though I’m not inclined to pick through it and figure out how many sports one could do.
There’s also a matter of how much money he has. He’d need to buy all different kinds of skis, skates, sleds, etc. Not to mention all the support staff and materials.’
Plus, would he be allowed to compete in team sports? Who would be his partners on the two-man luge or four-man bobsled? Not to mention hockey. I don’t think too many teams would want him as a teammate.
Besides, how much could he do with brute strength (and flying and all the rest), but no skill or knowledge?
After flipping through some rules, it appears as if Superman could enter as many events as he pleases (provided there are no scheduling conflicts).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) seems to defer to large international sporting organizations when it comes to the rules for various events. Biathalon , Skiing (XC, Ski Jump, Nordic Combined, Alpine, Freestyle, Snowboard) and Skating to cite a few examples.
Browsing through the rules, you may notice that there are no restrictions on how many events a person can enter. Most of the restrictions on entry concern the number of competitors entered by a given country in a single event.
I hope that those rulebooks shed some light on your question.
Scheduling wouldn’t necessarily be a problem. How long does it take for Superman to get from the ski jumping place to luge track? It’s not like he has to take the bus ;D
Superman gets his powers from the Sun - surely that counts as a “performance-enhancing drug”?
The prospect of Superman’s participation in the Olympics raises a whole host of technical and legal questions. Assuming that Clark Kent’s alter-ego, Superman, is a naturalized citizen, as a non-human Kryptonian, does he qualify for the Games? If so, would he be subjected to the same blood tests as the other athletes? Could IOC officials even be able to draw a blood sample, or would the needle just bend and crumple when pressed against the Kryptonian’s massively dense flesh?
Should Superman aim to merely win his heats and events with a minimum of effort, or to set world records, or to set personal bests? Because I foresee some threat to the Olympic arenas and facilities should Superman aim for personal bests… luge pipes, rinks, and entire alpine ski runs may melt down in the fiery wake of Supe’s supersonic speeds. Not just Superman’s equipment (skates, skis, luge, toboggan, etc.) stand to be totally pulverized and burned away by g-forces, pressures, and temperatures they weren’t designed for, but the facilities and bystanders are also likely to be smashed to bits in the supersonic collisions and explosive impacts… Even steel blades may melt under the intense pressure. Superman’s pursuit of “big air” in triple axels and halfpipe air-to-fakes could bust holes in rink roofs and take him to atmospheric heights where he’s reduced into a point on a radar screen… or a military satellite. And his supersonic speeds may wel elude the ability of the Swiss timing mechanisms to accurately record his feats.
Superman could well turn in some super performances, but he would likely also face some super-strong biases against him from the judges, and not just from the Russians. All his outspokenness about “truth, justice, and the American way” could come back to haunt him when the judges have their say…
Provided the IOC officials let him compete, I say he should go for it, but prioritize the objective, non-judged events and refrain from anything involving teammates or skating partners. 
“…reduced into a point…”? To. To a point. :smack:
If only this thread had been about Batman’s participation in the Olympics, I’d have been better… prepared. 
He could be a substitute on the ice hockey team, for example, and win their medal without ever playing in a game. He could play a few minutes of one game if you wanted to be technical about it or maybe score fifteen to twenty quick goals in a couple minutes in every game. Anyway, the team sports would be a snap in terms of schedule.
I’m pretty sure that somewhere along the line Supe was granted naturalized US citizenship.
The interesting part is figuring out what events Superman’s powers don’t really help him any. Like ski-jump. If you rule out using his flying ability as a “cheat,” then it puts him right with the rest of the jumpers. The races he clearly wins, because moving fast is what all the racers do. Kal is just better at it.
Actually, it’s unlikely that Superman would be all that competitive in most Winter Olympic sports. Even cross country skiing and speed skating require a great deal of skill just to stay upright, regardless of your strength. In hockey of course, he’d be devastating on the checking line. 
Now, the Summer Olympics are a completely different kettle of fish. He’d just have to avoid putting the shot put or javelin into orbit…
No, because he could use his super-strength to give himself a faster start.
I can’t believe I’m posting in here…
Well, so does everyone.
All the food we eat is grown in sunlight, and we get our powers (energy) from the food we eat.
And nearly all the energy we use in any form comes, directly or indirectly, from the sun. Oil, coal, gas – all ancient plantlife (fed by the sun) converted into energy sources. Wind power – sunlight warming the air causes the winds. One possible exception might be tidal water power – the tides are caused more by the moon than the sun. Also geothermal power generation – this is due to heat inside the earth, and hydroelectric generators – this is due to the gravity of the earth. But even there, you could argue that it was the sun’s gravity that caused interstellar dust to condense into the earth, so the sun was originally responsible for those sources, too.
Not a problem if there’s a lump of coal handy.
I guess the real question is how much of an asset would he be to the Curling team?
I think it’s pretty safe to say Superman has the coordination to stay upright beyond any of the other competitors. But I wonder if there is any rule that says you have to touch the snow at all. He could leave the gate, and fly an inch above the snow all the way down at supersonic speed.
There is the very real concern that Superman could enter the summer Olympics, sign up for Karate, and therefore prompt Chuck Norris to do the same.