Rogge visits Vancouver venues

During his visit to Vancouver and Whistler last week for the Vancouver 2010 one-year-to-go celebrations, IOC President Jacques Rogge had the opportunity to see first-hand a number of the venues that will be used during the Vancouver 2010 Games. Rogge was able to visit the Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler, the Whistler Olympic Park, the Whistler Sliding Centre, the Richmond Olympic Oval, Cypress Mountain, the International Broadcast Centre and the Vancouver Olympic Centre.

Smashing Games
During his visit to the Whistler Olympic Park, Rogge commented on the progress of the Vancouver Games project: “Most of the construction is finished and VANOC is now in the sport event phase, which is going extremely well.” He continued: “Of course, there is still a whole year of work ahead but I’m very confident about the outcome. I think that these Games are going to be unforgettable for the athletes because of the quality of the infrastructure, the quality of the people running the events, the fantastic scenery, and the love of sport of the Canadian people. These are going to be smashing Games!”

Competition Venues
All the competition venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have been completed, and sports events to test out their operations are currently underway. The snow and sliding sports will take place in Whistler and on Cypress Mountain, while the ice sports will all take place in the Vancouver and Richmond area. The unique setting and design elements of many of the venues will undoubtedly please not only the athletes, but also the spectators both in the venues and on TV.

Non-Competition Venues
Most of the non-competition venues are now nearing completion and will be handed over to VANOC during the course of 2009. This will allow the organisers to get them ready for the arrival of the athletes and media, who will be the principal users of the Olympic Villages and media centres.

VANCOUVER 2010
Vancouver and Whistler will host the XXI Olympic Winter Games from 12 to 28 February 2010, and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12 to 21 March 2010. The seven winter Olympic sports that will be on show in Vancouver are Luge, Skiing, Skating, Ice Hockey, Biathlon, Bobsleigh and Curling.