Vancouver Time Time Laps

The Olympic flame will reach Whistler’s edge at about 4:30 this afternoon, marking the 99th day of it’s tour from Ancient Olympia, Greece. In that time, the symbolic flame has been carried by thousands of torchbears across every province and territory of Canada.

Four olympians will proudly carry the flame into Whistler, with legendary local and Alpine Skiing Olympian Steve Podborski will carrying the flame on a snowmobile.

The flame is expected to reach Whistler village at approx 7pm with a welcome ceremony taking place at skiiers plaza inlcluding performances by the Squamish Lil’wat First Nations.

Whistlers Olympic Flame

Olympic Flags in Whistler

And Whistler is not slowing down! With over 9m of snow this winter, Whistler Blackcomb are ready to welcome the world.

The first alpine athletes start their training on designated training runs on February 5 and on the Olympic courses on February 10. The first alpine competition is the Men’s Downhill on February 13, the first day of Games competition.

“International Olympic Committee delegates recently skied the course and were very pleased with the results,” says Tim Gayda, Vice President of Sport, VANOC. “From the beginning of the season, VANOC and Whistler Blackcomb crews have worked hard together to prepare the courses to create a very dense base of snow that involved a massive snowmaking effort. Add to that the incredible amount of natural snow that has fallen in Whistler this season, and we’re now ready to deliver an Olympic-class alpine skiing venue that will live up to the reputation that the renowned Dave Murray Downhill course holds the world over. We look forward to debuting the spectacular new woman’s course on Franz’s Run. VANOC has now taken over the Men’s and Women’s courses entirely from Whistler Blackcomb ski operations and we’re in to the home stretch on our final preparations.”

Cheakamus Crossing - An Olympic Legacy

In February 2010, the eyes of the world will be upon Whistler as the globe’s top athletes compete for Olympic gold in Alpine, Nordic, Bobsleigh and Luge events in the resort. But in addition to all the limelight it’s getting from the 2010 Olympic Games, Whistler also benefits from some pretty impressive Olympic Legacies left behind when the Games are long finished. Whistler’s newest resident community, Cheakamus Crossing, is one of those legacies.

Situated across Highway 99 from Function Junction, Cheakamus Crossing is a permanent, mixed-use community that’s adjacent to a network of beautiful walking, hiking and mountain biking trails. Pedestrian-focused, the community is being built with a commitment to sustainability by using innovative design and development practices that, among other things, protects and enhances natural wetlands in the area. The community will also include commercial space for basic services, an athlete hostel, an International Hostel, a High Performance Centre, and community recreation fields. Featuring stunning views of Black Tusk and Whistler peak, the site will house visiting athletes and their support teams during the Games. After the Games, the units will provide Whistler residents with an affordable opportunity to live, work and play in the resort.

It’s official! After much back-and-forth, discussions, negotiations and re-negotiations – Whistler will indeed be the site of nightly medal presentations during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
In February 2009 as a cost-cutting measure, Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic organizers (VANOC) told Whistler that medals would be awarded at event venues instead of at Whistler’s Celebration Plaza – already under construction. But after much lobbying from Games athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and broadcasters, VANOC was convinced to reconsider the medals plan. The revised $12.8 million Whistler Celebration Sites program, including medals presentations at the plaza site, now includes $6.8 million from VANOC, $5 million from the federal government and $1 million from the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

Last Thursday marked the official countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games. In true Whistler style the resort celebrated with live music, parties and Canada’s top athletes.

2010 Facts & Figures

Olympic Games: Feb 12 - 28, 2010
- 85 countries competing
- 5,500 athletes and team officials (2,750 in Whistler)
- 86 medal events in 17 days (46 in Whistler)

Paralympic Games: March 12 - 21, 2010
- 45 countries competing
- 1,350 athletes and officials (1,015 in Whistler)
- 64 medal events in 9 days (62 in Whistler)

Overall
10,000 accredited media
55,000 workforce staff
25,000 volunteers
3 billion television views worldwide

Three competition venues in Whistler
- Whistler Creek / Alpine Skiing: Downhill, Super G, Giant slalom, Slalom, Combined
- Whistler Sliding Centre: Bobsleigh, Skeleton & Luge
- Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park: Cross-Country skiing, Nordic combined, Biathlon & Ski Jumping

The First Time…
- in Winter Games history the competition venues have been completed two years before competition dates
- in Winter Games history a community other than the host city has achieved an official designation
- the Closing Ceremony for the Paralympic Games will be held outside of the host city

In the spirit of the Nordic Festival at the Callaghan Valley this weekend, our team decided to head out on Friday to watch some of the World Cup events, then take ourselves for a cross-country ski.

With the sun shining and the snow in great shape, we could not have asked for a better day.

Ski Jumps for the 2010 Olympic Games. This weekend is the Cross Country and Nordic Combined World Cup competitions.

Training Run. Highly recommend coming out to watch these events. Very impressive!

Our Team. Certainly not as fit as some of the World Cup teams out there... but we did have fun!

Unforgettable views in the backcountry. A truly a unique experience.

JR, leading the charge and keeping us all fit

Cross Country Trails Callaghan Valley. Over 55km of perfectly groomed trails suitable for everyone from beginners and experts in classic and skate skiing

on the home stretch. After many many kilometers we were all ready for apres!

This is what the Whistler lifestyle is all about. Fresh air, sunshine, snow and good friends…

Set in the pristine back-country of the Callaghan Valley, is Whistler’s Olympic Park, venue for the 2010 Olympic Games.

This weekend 200 athletes from around the world arrive to compete in a three-day Nordic Combined World Cup.

For information on tickets, schedules and events see
http://nordiccombined-vancouver.com/home/tabid/257/language/en-CA/default.aspx

For details on Whistler Olympic Park see http://www.whistlerolympicpark.com/

In the lead up to the 2010 Olympics all eyes were on Whistler this weekend for the Alpine Skiing World Cup. Throughout the four-day event at Whistler’s Creekside the weather co-operated providing excellent quality & quantity of snow complemented by beautiful blue skies.

Crowds were around the 2000-3000 thousand with many coming out to support Whistler’s local racers Britt Janyk and Quebecer Erik Guay who were each fourth in their races.

Germany’s Maria Riesch has won the women’s World Cup super combined race in a time of two minutes 10.07 seconds. Skiracing.com commenting “Maria Riesch put down a blazing super G run and grabbed the early lead in the super combined World Cup at Whistler Sunday. Julia Mancuso holds second after the super G leg with a run of slalom still left to race. Canadian Emily Brydon holds third”

Maria Riesch then went on in the slalom to win a World Cup super-combined on Sunday. Austria’s Marlies Schild came second by just nine one-hundredths of a second and Sweden’s Anja Paerson was third.

Swiss Nadia Styger won the Whistler women’s World Cup downhill race Friday just ahead of American Lindsey Vonn, who took the overall downhill season title with a second-place finish.

Austria’s Christoph Gruber won the men’s super-G race Thursday ahead of compatriot Hannes Reichelt and Slovenia’s Ales Gorza. American Bode Miller, leader of the overall standings, failed to complete the race.

Austria’s Hannes Reichelt won his first World Cup giant slalom on Saturday commenting “”I know that slope is perfect for me, I can be fast here and that gives me a lot of confidence. It’s good to know you can be fast on this slope in two years, but a lot can happen.”

Bode Miller of the United States held his lead in the overall standings with 1,103 points. Raich is second with 1,058 and Cuche has 998.

The Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee spent $27.6 million upgrading the Creekside facility for the Olympic and although the overall feedback on the course was positive, the spectators we somewhat frustrated by the 30min hike up the mountain to get to the finish line. Vice President in charge of venue management on the Olympic organizing committe, Cathy Priestner-Allinger acknowledged that complaints from spectators were heard and will be corrected by 2010, adding “plans are in the works for a 7,000-seat grandstand at the finish area and fans will be able to line the course to cheer on their countries athletes to gold.”

Overall there is no doubt that as the countdown begins excitement and interest in Whistler for the 2010 Olympics continues to boom!!

The countdown to the first day of ticket sales for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games is on! 1.6 million tickets for the Olympic Winter Games go on sale in October 2008 and 250,000 Paralympic Winter Games tickets will be available in 2009.

Highlights of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ticket program include:

• More than 100,000 tickets will be available for $25

• Half of all Games tickets will be priced at $100 or less

• Tickets go on sale in October 2008

Information about the ticket sales program is now available and more information will be available through the coming year.

Follow the links below to find out more about:

• How and when 2010 Winter Olympic Games tickets will be available

• Ticket prices

• Frequently asked questions about the ticket program