Right, and the examples I cited all managed to survive long periods of dominance by one or two countries and still be viable events that countries are proud to send their athletes to compete in.

My guess is that the Swiss, Slovak, and Russian women enjoy their opportunity to play on the world stage and get embarrassed by the Americans and Canadians -- eliminating the sport just because they don't have much of a chance to beat them in 2010 deprives them of their dream of representing their country, and keeps their programs from developing into a dynasty of their own.

In other words, sometimes it's just about getting there and competing. Eventually, the balance of power will shift, and until then, there's always a chance for a David v. Goliath moment like the Miracle on Ice.