Canada second in World Cup medal count

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 | 11:02 AM ET

Dan Robson, CBC Sports

Brittany Schussler (left), Christine Nesbitt, and Kristina Groves celebrate after setting the team pursuit world record in Calgary. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

As a nation famous for polite self-deprecation, it might be a difficult reality to grapple with.

Yes, humble Canadians—VANOC hype and "own the podium" rhetoric aside — our athletes really do have a legitimate shot at topping the medal count at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Canada currently sits second in overall World Cup standings for the 2009-10 season with 100 medals. Only Germany has racked up more podium finishes at 122.

All of the Winter Olympic sports, with the exception of hockey and curling, are included in the World Cup totals.

The United States is close on our heels with 98 medals. (Our long-track speedskaters have brought home 25 medals, compared with 15 earned by the Stephen Colbert-backed U.S. team).

At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Germany led the count with 29 medals. The United States tallied 25 to finish second overall.

Canada came in third with 24 — regarded as our best Olympic showing to date (Canada won 44 medals at the boycotted 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles). Austria and Russia rounded out the top five countries in 2006, with 23 and 22 medals respectively.

World Cup medal count as of Jan. 11