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| Sampling, data collection and tabulation
for this poll were done by TNS Intersearch. |
A new ABCNEWS.com poll finds the public divides evenly on the question — about the same as it was in 2000 and 1996, and far from its level in the last Olympics of the Cold War, in 1988.
There's been speculation that post-Sept. 11 patriotism could cause more people to take a stake in the medal count, but it's not so.
Fifty percent say it's important to them that the United States win more medals than any other country, compared to 51 percent in 2000 and 55 percent in 1996 (both Summer Games). Just 17 percent call it "very important."
It was 62 percent, by contrast, in the 1988 Summer Games, the last Olympics for the Soviet Union. Those hopes were unanswered: The U.S. team won 94 medals, the Soviets, 132.
The United States was the overall medals winner once in a Winter Olympics, in 1932.
Men vs. Women
While men are customarily seen as more competitive, it's women who are somewhat more likely to call the medal count important — 54 percent do so, compared to 45 percent of men.
The medal count's also more important to less-educated Americans.
Methodology
This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone Feb. 6-10 among a random national sample of 1,026 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were done by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our PollVault 
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