Olympic Athletes

Hot and Cold Spots

Minnesota has several talent-rich counties. But neighboring Hennepin, which includes Minneapolis, and Ramsey, with St. Paul within its borders, have produced a whopping 108 Winter Olympians combined. Hennepin's 60 tied for the most of any county (with Middlesex in Massachusetts). Essex County, N.Y., home of two-time Winter Games host Lake Placid, has produced 32 Winter Olympians. That dark blue spot in New Mexico is tiny Lincoln County, where 2002 women's skeleton gold medalist Tristan Gale was born.

Every state has produced at least one Summer Olympian, including Alaska, which has had seven athletes: three rowers, including 1984 gold medalist Kris Thorsness, a runner, a discus thrower, a wrestler and a team handball player. The county that has produced the most Summer Olympians is Los Angeles County in California (population: 9.5 million), with 425.