By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Another Winter Olympics has come and gone. Medals have been awarded, and the athletes have returned to their respective countries.

The 2010 edition of the games proved to be one of the most popular with television viewers in recent years. As such, L’Observateur asked visitors to its Web site to answer the following question: “What is your favorite sport to watch in the Winter Olympics?”

Not surprisingly, skiing was readers’ top choice, garnering over one-fifth of the votes. Close behind were ice skating and hockey, which received 13 and 11 percent of the vote, respectively.

In all, the votes were spread out fairly evenly over all of the choices with one major exception. The top vote getter was “I don’t watch the Winter Olympics,” but that choice still received considerably less than half the votes.

So, while residents of the River Parishes may not all watch the same events of the Winter Games, a majority of them were watching.

A full breakdown of results follows:

• 21 percent of respondents chose “Skiing.”

• 13 percent of respondents chose “Ice skating.”

• 11 percent of respondents chose “Hockey.”

• 8 percent of respondents chose “Luge/bobsled.”

• 6 percent of respondents chose “Curling.”

• 6 percent of respondents chose “Other.”

• 36 percent of respondents chose “I don’t watch the Winter Olympics.”

Next week’s question: With the healthcare reform initiative having somewhat stalled in Congress, President Barack Obama held a bipartisan summit last week to try to get the ball rolling again. What do you think needs to be done regarding healthcare reform?

Visit carpenter-media.go-vip.net.lobservateur.com to vote.