Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics
Now's the time to start planning for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. AAA travel agents can help winter sports enthusiasts plan the opportunity of a lifetime- the Olympic experience without overseas travel. The Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 12, 2010, are the start of 17 days of Olympic Games with an anticipated 80 countries and 6,850 athletes and officials participating, and a global television audience of some 3 billion people.
Events locations stretch from the shores of Richmond north to the snow-covered mountain peaks of Whistler - a distance of 120 kilometers (about 75 miles). All sites are within a 2-hour drive of downtown Vancouver.
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympic Winter Games will be held at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. This enclosed venue allows games organizers to take advantage of state-of-the-art lighting, projection, sound, and special effects technologies. Nightly Victory Ceremonies presentations will take place at an outdoor plaza in Whistler's town center.
Competition venues are spread among four locations. In downtown Vancouver, events will take place at Canada Hockey Place, home of the NHL Vancouver Canucks. Other venues include Pacific Coliseum; UBC Thunderbird Arena, on the University of British Columbia campus; and at the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre.
Whistler Creekside, well known for its challenging downhill runs, will be the setting for Olympic alpine skiing events. The Whistler Sliding Centre on Blackcomb Mountain will host the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions. Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley encompasses a core area with three stadiums, as well as 15 kilometers (9 miles) of competition trails for cross-country skiing and biathalon.
Freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions will take place on Cypress Mountain in the district of West Vancouver. Speed skaters will take to the ice at the Richmond Oval, on the banks of the Fraser River across from Vancouver International Airport.
For more information on the events and dates of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, log onto www.vancouver2010.com
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