The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Olympic Feature Part 4 – March 23rd Update

_{Photo credit - Robin O'Neill}

The 2010 Paralympics have made some breakthroughs. The biggest has been the increase in the international audience via national television broadcasts and internet viewers. The numbers broke records for both the summer and winter Paralympics. Sports officials said this was due to the Vancouver organizers jointly promoting the Olympics and Paralympics together.

"I've had to fight with every organizing committee except Vancouver's to get 'Paralympic' in the (Games) title," said Craven. "That's the turning point."

Since the biggest hurdle of the Paralympic movement has been public awareness, here is a short summary of what the Paralympic Games are all about.

History

In 1948 Sir Ludwig Guttman organized a sports competition specifically for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries in Stoke Mandeville, England. The Netherlands joined the competition four years later and the international movement was born. The first Olympic style games were held in Rome in 1960 and the Winter Olympic Games was hosted by Sweden the same year.
On 19 June 2001, an agreement was signed between the IOC and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) securing the practice for co-hosting both Games. From the 2012 bid process onwards, the city chosen to host the Olympic Games would be obliged to also host the Paralympics.

Events

In the alpine ski events there are 15 classifications for athletes with physical disability. Three for visually impaired skiers, which includes athletes that are totally blind. All visually impaired skiers compete with a guide who is in voice or radio communication and usually skis out front.

There are eight classifications for standing athletes and four for sitting athletes. The classification is determined on whether the skier uses a prosthesis, poles or outriggers (poles with small skate skis attached). The level of disability is also taken in to consideration i.e. above or below the knee amputees, disability of arm and leg due to amputation or cerebral palsy. The sitting category is determined by the degree of paraplegia.

In competition the athletes compete against those with similar disabilities and the time on the course together with the degree of disability determines the winner.
The biathlon events have a similar breakdown in classifications. Visually impaired skiers will ski with a guide and aim their rifles with an acoustic system. Different tones are heard as the shooter aims at the bulls eye.

Ice Sledge hockey began in Sweden in the early 1960’s on a frozen lake south of Stockholm. The same rules as international ice hockey apply with a few modifications. Players sit on a twin blade sledge which allows the puck to pass underneath. They grip two double ended sticks- one end has a sharp pick to propel the sledge and the other has a curved blade to shoot and pass the puck.
The relatively new game of wheelchair curling debuted at the 2006 Paralympics in Torino. The same strategies apply as in regular curling, only there is no sweeping of the ice. This makes the accuracy and finesse of each throw all the more important.

The 2010 Winter Paralympic Games belonged to Russia, who swept the medal count with over 38 medals, 14 more than Germany. The Canadians placed third with 19 and were a bit disappointed that their champion sledge hockey team failed to make the podium. The gold went to the USA.

The Paralympic movement is growing. In the future the IPC is looking to add speed skating, snowboarding and bobsleigh events. Xavier Gonzalez, CEO of the International Paralympic Committee summed up the direction Paralympic movement:

"The Paralympics open the minds of the so-called able bodied people, in terms of focusing on ability and not disability... the Games are a true element of change in social attitudes, and could improve the lives of people with disabilities."

Olympic Feature Part 3 – March 2nd Update

^{Photo credit - Leanna Rathkelly}

Some of the worst comments came from British journalists. One went as far to label Vancouver 2010 as the “worst Olympics ever”. It will be interesting what approach the British press take on the London 2012 Olympics. Many wrote of the Own the Podium program as ‘arrogant’ an even ‘un-Canadian’.

But Vancouver and Whistler came through in the end. When the gloomy weather broke into sunny skies, British Columbia had the chance to show the world its beauty. Helicopters flew over Whistler filming footage of the picturesque Coast Mountains and the uncrowded, snowy slopes of Whistler Blackcomb.

It wasn’t until the second week of the Games that the Canadian athletes found their stride. Then one by one they started to win medals, most of them gold. The female speed skating and bobsleigh athletes started a wave of exemplary performance which seemed to inspire the remaining Canadian competitors. Then all the way to the penultimate day of the games, they showed their country and the rest of the world that they could perform under the pressure.

14 gold medals for Canada these Winter Games. This breaks the previous record of 13 golds held by Norway in 2002 and the Soviet Union in 1976. Just when they were looking like they would be upstaged by the Americans, Canada snapped up the few remaining events to cement its place in history. Indeed, the USA won the medal count with an impressive 37 medals, 7 more than
 any other nation making it their most successful Winter Olympics. But the Americans would not spoil this Canadian party. While placing third in the medal count, Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) president-elect Marcel Aubut defended the Own the Podium program.

“We said were going to own the podium and we did - the very top of the podium. Our very own Canadian team has reached a new level of excellence. The Games have produced heroes from all corners of their country. What a tremendous accomplishment."

But the final match of the 21st Winter Olympic Games was the one that mattered most. Had Canada had a week like the first, winning the gold in men’s hockey would be the only one they would need to save the nation. Instead it glorified Canada’s winning streak and gave them the bragging rights over the US and the other great hockey nations such as Russia, Finland and Sweden.

At the start of the 20 minute period of overtime play, there was an eerie silence all across Canada. Then as the young superstar Sidney Crosby shot the puck past Team USA’s finest goaltender in years, the nation exploded in excitement and euphoria. They’d done it. After all the years of training and a tough two weeks of competition, Canada showed the world that this was their Games.

But the Olympics are not done yet. On March 12 Vancouver and Whistler will welcome the Winter Paralympics. There may not be as many viewers for these Games, but the competitive spirit burns just as deep.


_{Photo credit - Leanna Rathkelly}

Olympic Feature Part 2 – February 21st Update

^{Photo credit - David McColm}

The first week of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games had a rough start with poor weather and the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. While the mainstream media has been pointing fingers at everyone from the track designer to Canada’s Own the Podium program, the fact is that the winter games hosts some of the fastest and most dangerous sports in the world.

The Canadians have had high expectation of their athletes and the many have suffered under the pressure. Understandably the athletes want to perform their best at their home venues in front of their home crowd. The Alpine Ski team have had mediocre results with no medals as yet. On the freestyle front gold went to mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau there are still hopes that Ashleigh McIvor will carry her world cup momentum to the Cypress Mountain tomorrow for the women’s ski cross.

But there have been other pressures on these hard working athletes. The ambitiously named Own the Podium program was set up shortly after Vancouver won the 2010 Olympic bid. It consists of a partnership between the Canadian Government, Canada's 13 winter national sport federations and a list of corporate sponsors. After hosting two Olympic Games with no gold medals on home soil, Canada decided it was time to show the world they are not a second tier team in winter sports.

They are currently tied for fifth on the medal table, fifteen medals behind the US. The financers of the program are having doubts about its success.
But Canada’s legacy at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games will not be about medals. It will be about how the country has become united under the maple leaf, supporting every one of their athletes. They will keep cheering until the Olympic torch is extinguished.

The biggest debut of this Olympics has been that of ice dancing couple Virtue and Moir. The 20 and 22 year old figure skaters from Ontario have the highest score since Torvill and Dean won gold for Britain in 1984. They are the youngest ice dancing champions and are the first North Americans to win gold in this event. The final free dance they performed Monday night was not just flawless but showed elegance and style. Their lift manoeuvres were more complex and were executed more smoothly than any other team that night. The celebrations echoed not just through Vancouver and Whistler but all across Canada.
 
But the biggest event is yet to come. In the men’s hockey Team Canada will face Germany for the quarter final playoff. Every game now is an elimination game and if Canada wants the gold they’ll have four tough games to get through. In the women’s hockey there is Canada – USA final with the hosts going in as favourites.

From the local’s perspective February has been an amazing month for enjoying the mountains. While Whistler Village is packed with people buying souvenirs and rushing to catch their bus to the next event, the resort itself remains quiet and uncrowded. Sunny days with great snow and short lift lines- not your average day skiing Whistler Blackcomb. With visitors from all over the world experiencing the amazing mountains and deep snow pack, Whistler is sure to increase its reputation as the world’s top resort.

Olympic Feature Part 1

_{Photo credit - Joerne Rohde}

Once Vancouver had been chosen as host city, the bid committee was expanded into the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). This committee is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing, and staging of the Games.

The Vancouver 2010 mission is to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies. The vision is to build a stronger Canada whose spirit is raised by its passion for sport, culture and sustainability.

- Government of Canada www.canada2010.gc.ca

There has been substantial investment towards infrastructure in preparation for the Games. Vancouver’s Skytrain network now has a rapid transit link to Vancouver International Airport in Richmond. The long overdue upgrade to the Sea to Sky Highway (which links Vancouver and Whistler) has finally been completed. The new transit centre in Whistler has been constructed with a fleet of hydrogen powered buses ready to service the thousands of daily visitors and spectators.

All the event venues are ready with final preparations taking place in the next weeks. The Whistler Sliding Centre (completed in 2007) held its international training weeks from October 26 to November 16, allowing a total of 4000 runs to be taken by the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton athletes. The Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley south of Whistler will host the Cross Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Biathlon and Nordic Combined events.


_{Photo credit - David McColm}

Vancouver’s venues are also ready, despite public alarm over the early closure of Cypress Mountain, the official venue for snowboarding, freestyle moguls and aerials. Recent warm weather and rain is indicative of the infamous Pineapple Express, a weather system which brings a high amount of moist precipitation to the Pacific Coast of North America during El Niño years. VANOC Officials decided to close Cypress Mountain to the public two and a half weeks early in order to ensure the courses are in suitable condition for Games time. VANOC Vice president of Sport, Tim Gayda stated in the Pique News Magazine on January 14th:

“This is a scenario that we planned for for years. We will run the competitions there for sure”

Both Cypress and Whistler Blackcomb are equipped with state of the art snowmaking facilities which have been operating since the first snowfall of the season.

“Without that snowmaking we’d definitely be in trouble”

But up the road in Whistler the temperature has stayed closer to freezing. November 2009 marked Whistler Blackcomb’s snowiest month ever, with over 500cm of accumulative snowfall. The Christmas holiday period saw large amounts of last minute bookings and has challenged the tradition of ‘Olympic Aversion’, where tourists decide to avoid visiting resorts that are hosting the Olympics. While January has experienced some warmer weather systems, the snow continues to fall with over 900cm recorded since the start of the season.

The Olympic torch has been making its way across Canada and is in the final stages of touring the lower mainland of British Columbia. The excitement is building and all eyes will be on Whistler and Vancouver on February 12th.


_{Photo credit - Steve Rogers}