Ten quotes that said it all about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The agony of defeat. The thrill of victory. The tragedy. The weather. In no particular order...
"What is next? I don't know. Sleep, and then take on the world."
Two-time United States' halfpipe snowboarding gold medallist Shaun White on his next move.
"NASCAR, Motocross and bull-riding."
How Daron Rahlves of the U.S. describes skicross.
"Basically all four years lead to one second that can screw you all up."
Canadian ski jumper Stefan Read on failing to qualify for the main competition.
"I think we have all seen two days ago how difficult the sport is, how close victory and failure and disaster is together. So it's so sad, such a sad situation about all what happened. It's just bursting my heart." - Three-time luge gold medallist and German coach Georg Hackl on the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in a Feb. 12 training crash.
"We have 80,000 girls playing hockey in Canada, we have around 60,000 in the United States, and we have 267 girls playing in Slovakia. If 80,000 girls are playing 267, that's the 18-0." - International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel on the state of women's hockey.
"Hockey is not a sport in Canada. It's a cult."
U.S. men's hockey general manager Brian Burke on Canadians' attachment to hockey.
"The team has been building something out of something that keeps disappearing. The snow, we bring it in and the warm weather it comes and it disappears. We bring it in and the wind comes and it disappears." - Renee Smith-Valade on the rescue of Cypress Mountain's freestyle skiing and snowboarding venues.
"If I could have done this job with a paper bag over my head I probably would have."
VANOC CEO John Furlong on being a public figure.
"There are no rules against the pants, but there may be after this."
Norwegian curler Christoffer Svae on the legality of his team's blue, grey, white and red diamond golf-style pants.
"My legs were feeling like someone injected them with gravy."
Super combined alpine skiing gold medallist Bode Miller of the U.S. on how he felt before the slalom race.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
How many golden Canadian Olympians?
Seventy gold medals have been awarded to Canadians in Canada since 1993.
And you thought it was just 14 and the gold parade began only at Vancouver 2010!
Here is the full roster of all Canadians who have received a gold medal in the home and native land, in order of appearance.
Synchronized swimming
Sylvie Frechette, Dec. 15, 1993, Montreal Forum presented by Dick Pound. (Second gold medal awarded after judging error at Barcelona 1992).
Cross-country skiing
Beckie Scott, June 25, 2004, Vancouver Art Gallery presented by Charmaine Crooks. (Salt Lake 2002 gold and silver medallists disqualified for doping infractions).
Freestyle skiing moguls
Alexandre Bilodeau, Feb. 14, 2010
Snowboardcross
Maelle Ricker, Feb. 16, 2010
Speedskating 1,000 m
Christine Nesbitt, Feb. 18, 2010
Skeleton
Jon Montgomery, Feb. 19, 2010
Figure skating
mixed dance, Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, Feb. 22, 2010
Skicross
Ashleigh McIvor, Feb. 23, 2010
Two-seat bobsled
Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, Feb. 24, 2010
Women’s hockey
Meghan Agosta, Gillian Apps, Tessa Bonhomme, Jennifer Botterill, Becky Kellar, Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Gina Kingsbury, Charline Labonte, Carla MacLeod, Meaghan Mikkelson, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Marie-Philip Poulin, Colleen Sostorics, Kim St.-Pierre, Shannon Szabados, Sarah Vaillancourt, Catherine Ward, Hayley Wickenheiser.
Feb. 25, 2010
Short-track speedskating 500 m
Charles Hamelin, Feb. 26, 2010
Short-track speedskating 5,000 m relay
Guillaume Bastille, Charles Hamelin, Francois Hamelin, Olivier Jean, Francois-Louis Tremblay, Feb. 26, 2010
Parallel giant slalom snowboarding
Jasey-Jay Anderson, Feb. 27, 2010
Speedskating men’s team pursuit
Mathieu Giroux, Lucas Makowsky, Denny Morrison, Feb. 27, 2010
Men’s curling
Kevin Martin, Adam Enright, Ben Hebert, Marc Kennedy, John Morris, Feb. 27, 2010
Men’s hockey
Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Martin Brodeur, Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty, Marc-André Fleury, Ryan Getzlaf, Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Duncan Keith, Roberto Luongo, Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow, Rick Nash, Scott Niedermayer, Corey Perry, Christopher Pronger, Michael Richards, Brent Seabrook, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews and Shea Weber, Feb. 28, 2010.
And you thought it was just 14 and the gold parade began only at Vancouver 2010!
Here is the full roster of all Canadians who have received a gold medal in the home and native land, in order of appearance.
Synchronized swimming
Sylvie Frechette, Dec. 15, 1993, Montreal Forum presented by Dick Pound. (Second gold medal awarded after judging error at Barcelona 1992).
Cross-country skiing
Beckie Scott, June 25, 2004, Vancouver Art Gallery presented by Charmaine Crooks. (Salt Lake 2002 gold and silver medallists disqualified for doping infractions).
Freestyle skiing moguls
Alexandre Bilodeau, Feb. 14, 2010
Snowboardcross
Maelle Ricker, Feb. 16, 2010
Speedskating 1,000 m
Christine Nesbitt, Feb. 18, 2010
Skeleton
Jon Montgomery, Feb. 19, 2010
Figure skating
mixed dance, Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, Feb. 22, 2010
Skicross
Ashleigh McIvor, Feb. 23, 2010
Two-seat bobsled
Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, Feb. 24, 2010
Women’s hockey
Meghan Agosta, Gillian Apps, Tessa Bonhomme, Jennifer Botterill, Becky Kellar, Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Gina Kingsbury, Charline Labonte, Carla MacLeod, Meaghan Mikkelson, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Marie-Philip Poulin, Colleen Sostorics, Kim St.-Pierre, Shannon Szabados, Sarah Vaillancourt, Catherine Ward, Hayley Wickenheiser.
Feb. 25, 2010
Short-track speedskating 500 m
Charles Hamelin, Feb. 26, 2010
Short-track speedskating 5,000 m relay
Guillaume Bastille, Charles Hamelin, Francois Hamelin, Olivier Jean, Francois-Louis Tremblay, Feb. 26, 2010
Parallel giant slalom snowboarding
Jasey-Jay Anderson, Feb. 27, 2010
Speedskating men’s team pursuit
Mathieu Giroux, Lucas Makowsky, Denny Morrison, Feb. 27, 2010
Men’s curling
Kevin Martin, Adam Enright, Ben Hebert, Marc Kennedy, John Morris, Feb. 27, 2010
Men’s hockey
Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Martin Brodeur, Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty, Marc-André Fleury, Ryan Getzlaf, Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Duncan Keith, Roberto Luongo, Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow, Rick Nash, Scott Niedermayer, Corey Perry, Christopher Pronger, Michael Richards, Brent Seabrook, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews and Shea Weber, Feb. 28, 2010.
O, change a vowel and get on with something more important
So they want to change the national anthem.
The one Olympic fans spontaneously sang at Vancouver 2010 venues, bars and in SkyTrain cars. The same sacred song the Conservatives plundered to make True North, Strong and Free the official slogan of the federal government and With Glowing Hearts the official slogan of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“Our Government will also ask Parliament to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem,” said Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean in the March 3 throne speech.
Mickey the Mini-Queen was referring to the “True patriot love in all thy sons command” line in O Canada.
After the 2010 Games, patriotism will be low-hanging Okanagan peaches or Niagara grapes for politicians to exploit. But can we skip this useless national debate already?
By changing one vowel, we can satisfy those who still want to sing sons and those who want to read something gender neutral.
My solution? “True patriot love in all thy sun’s command.”
The sun is integral to life in Canada. We long to see more of its rays in winter. Its rays give birth to maple leaves in spring that turn red by the summer rays and finally give way to a symphony of autumn colour. Canada's north is known for midnight sun in summer. Of course there's a certain chain of newspapers and websites that venture to tell you about everything under the sun.
So let’s skip the Royal Commissions and Senate Hearings, change a vowel and get onto something more important. Like housing for the homeless people witnessed by Olympic visitors to Vancouver in February.
The one Olympic fans spontaneously sang at Vancouver 2010 venues, bars and in SkyTrain cars. The same sacred song the Conservatives plundered to make True North, Strong and Free the official slogan of the federal government and With Glowing Hearts the official slogan of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“Our Government will also ask Parliament to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem,” said Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean in the March 3 throne speech.
Mickey the Mini-Queen was referring to the “True patriot love in all thy sons command” line in O Canada.
After the 2010 Games, patriotism will be low-hanging Okanagan peaches or Niagara grapes for politicians to exploit. But can we skip this useless national debate already?
By changing one vowel, we can satisfy those who still want to sing sons and those who want to read something gender neutral.
My solution? “True patriot love in all thy sun’s command.”
The sun is integral to life in Canada. We long to see more of its rays in winter. Its rays give birth to maple leaves in spring that turn red by the summer rays and finally give way to a symphony of autumn colour. Canada's north is known for midnight sun in summer. Of course there's a certain chain of newspapers and websites that venture to tell you about everything under the sun.
So let’s skip the Royal Commissions and Senate Hearings, change a vowel and get onto something more important. Like housing for the homeless people witnessed by Olympic visitors to Vancouver in February.
More numbers of the Games
Media outnumbered athletes but not security personnel at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
International Olympic Committee media operations head Anthony Edgar said there were 12,365 media personnel accredited, including 2,803 written and photographic press, 2,540 host broadcasters (from Olympic Broadcast Services Vancouver) and 7,296 rights holding broadcasters.
The written and photographic press, with E-class badges, included 1,636 journalists, 90 support staff, 199 non-rights holding broadcasters, 698 photographers and 180 technicians.
International Olympic Committee media operations head Anthony Edgar said there were 12,365 media personnel accredited, including 2,803 written and photographic press, 2,540 host broadcasters (from Olympic Broadcast Services Vancouver) and 7,296 rights holding broadcasters.
The written and photographic press, with E-class badges, included 1,636 journalists, 90 support staff, 199 non-rights holding broadcasters, 698 photographers and 180 technicians.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Olympics rife with professionals and prophylactics
CKNW’s Marcella Bernardo livened up an otherwise typical, mid-Games news conference with the Canadian Olympic Committee on Feb. 20 at the main press centre.
She asked Vancouver-born Marnie McBean, the triple gold medal rower from Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, about the free condoms available to athletes at the Olympic Villages.
As I said in June, not every athlete coming to the 2010 Winter Olympics will win one of the 549 gold, silver or bronze medals. But every one hoping to score can get a handful of latex.
"(Athletes are) just collecting free stuff,” said McBean, a Canadian Olympic team mentor. "I used to say it (the Olympic Games) was 16 days of free stuff. (Condoms are) out free everywhere. People just take them as a joke... People just take handfuls of them."
Some 50,000 of the rubbers are distributed freely as part of a United Nations/IOC AIDS/HIV prevention campaign.
Evidently they’re not just for athletes. On the Feb. 9 media tour, I wandered into the medical clinic at the Vancouver Olympic Village and the volunteers invited me to take a handful. Even after I took only one, they encouraged me to take more. I politely told the kind volunteers that the Games had yet to begin. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
McBean denied that the villages are a den of debauchery. They’re more a pressure-cooker environment, she said.
Former synchronized swimmer Sylvie Frechette, who is also working as an athlete mentor, revealed at the same news conference that Canada’s hockey team has a secret passion for ping pong.
"If you hear the ping-pong table at 9 am, it's Sidney Crosby and Shea Weber,” Frechette said.
After the shocking 5-3 Feb. 21 loss to the United States, I'm betting that coach Mike Babcock is ordering less table tennis.
You may recognize Frechette’s name. She was cheated out of a gold medal at Barcelona 1992 by a judging error, but on Dec. 15, 1993, she was awarded the medal in a ceremony at the Forum in Montreal by Canada’s senior International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound. Because of that, she was the first Canadian awarded a gold medal in Canada.
Cross-country skier Beckie Scott was the second on June 25, 2004 in Vancouver after the IOC revoked gold and silver from Russian doping cheats at Salt Lake 2002. IOC member Charmaine Crooks bestowed the medal on Scott at a Vancouver Art Gallery ceremony.
Of course, Alexandre Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win a gold medal in Canada on Feb. 14, 2010.
Frechette was inducted to the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame in 1999.
She asked Vancouver-born Marnie McBean, the triple gold medal rower from Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, about the free condoms available to athletes at the Olympic Villages.
As I said in June, not every athlete coming to the 2010 Winter Olympics will win one of the 549 gold, silver or bronze medals. But every one hoping to score can get a handful of latex.
"(Athletes are) just collecting free stuff,” said McBean, a Canadian Olympic team mentor. "I used to say it (the Olympic Games) was 16 days of free stuff. (Condoms are) out free everywhere. People just take them as a joke... People just take handfuls of them."
Some 50,000 of the rubbers are distributed freely as part of a United Nations/IOC AIDS/HIV prevention campaign.
Evidently they’re not just for athletes. On the Feb. 9 media tour, I wandered into the medical clinic at the Vancouver Olympic Village and the volunteers invited me to take a handful. Even after I took only one, they encouraged me to take more. I politely told the kind volunteers that the Games had yet to begin. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
McBean denied that the villages are a den of debauchery. They’re more a pressure-cooker environment, she said.
Former synchronized swimmer Sylvie Frechette, who is also working as an athlete mentor, revealed at the same news conference that Canada’s hockey team has a secret passion for ping pong.
"If you hear the ping-pong table at 9 am, it's Sidney Crosby and Shea Weber,” Frechette said.
After the shocking 5-3 Feb. 21 loss to the United States, I'm betting that coach Mike Babcock is ordering less table tennis.
You may recognize Frechette’s name. She was cheated out of a gold medal at Barcelona 1992 by a judging error, but on Dec. 15, 1993, she was awarded the medal in a ceremony at the Forum in Montreal by Canada’s senior International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound. Because of that, she was the first Canadian awarded a gold medal in Canada.
Cross-country skier Beckie Scott was the second on June 25, 2004 in Vancouver after the IOC revoked gold and silver from Russian doping cheats at Salt Lake 2002. IOC member Charmaine Crooks bestowed the medal on Scott at a Vancouver Art Gallery ceremony.
Of course, Alexandre Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win a gold medal in Canada on Feb. 14, 2010.
Frechette was inducted to the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame in 1999.
Do you measure a handful with a cup, ruler or scale?
What is the universally accepted measurement of a handful?
Apparently VANOC thinks I know, but I can’t find it in my handy-dandy Imperial to Metric and back again iPhone app.
You see, there are seven police officers and four military members who have been “sent home” from the 2010 Winter Olympics. (My B.S. monitor says that’s a euphemism for “fired.”)
The Vancouver Police Department is investigating two of the cops. A third, Sgt. Suzanne Denise Marie Martel of Ottawa, was charged with shoplifting from a Burnaby retail establishment. She is no longer part of the force and must return April 8 for a court date.
On Feb. 10, Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit chief Bud Mercer and Rear Adm. Tyrone Pile of Joint Task Force Games said the Olympic experience ended early for some of their people.
Mercer said 14 went home for medical and compassionate reasons, while two were dispatched for violating “internal conduct.” Pile said 50 of the military members were gone, but did not indicate how many violated the military code of service.
VANOC, on the other hand, is measuring its rate of attrition as a “handful.” I asked how many people in the workforce have left their duties for whatever reason. Death in the family, illness, injury, misconduct, etc. This is what I got as a response:
“Our volunteer numbers have been great,” wrote communications director Chris Brumwell. “We’ve really only seen a handful of our 19,000 Olympic volunteers leave the team through attrition. The majority are overwhelmingly enthusiastic and in some cases we’ve seen volunteers show up for extra shifts.”
Still waiting to find out if a handful means two, 20 or 200.
Apparently VANOC thinks I know, but I can’t find it in my handy-dandy Imperial to Metric and back again iPhone app.
You see, there are seven police officers and four military members who have been “sent home” from the 2010 Winter Olympics. (My B.S. monitor says that’s a euphemism for “fired.”)
The Vancouver Police Department is investigating two of the cops. A third, Sgt. Suzanne Denise Marie Martel of Ottawa, was charged with shoplifting from a Burnaby retail establishment. She is no longer part of the force and must return April 8 for a court date.
On Feb. 10, Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit chief Bud Mercer and Rear Adm. Tyrone Pile of Joint Task Force Games said the Olympic experience ended early for some of their people.
Mercer said 14 went home for medical and compassionate reasons, while two were dispatched for violating “internal conduct.” Pile said 50 of the military members were gone, but did not indicate how many violated the military code of service.
VANOC, on the other hand, is measuring its rate of attrition as a “handful.” I asked how many people in the workforce have left their duties for whatever reason. Death in the family, illness, injury, misconduct, etc. This is what I got as a response:
“Our volunteer numbers have been great,” wrote communications director Chris Brumwell. “We’ve really only seen a handful of our 19,000 Olympic volunteers leave the team through attrition. The majority are overwhelmingly enthusiastic and in some cases we’ve seen volunteers show up for extra shifts.”
Still waiting to find out if a handful means two, 20 or 200.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
VANOC secrecy extends to cookies
From the “why should I be surprised?” file.
The snack table at the Cypress Mountain media centre included -- gasp! -- free cookies. This was in the same room where VANOC was selling Snickers candy bars for $3. The ones with the special Believe wrappers. (I Believe that’s price-gouging!)
There was a whole basket of generic milk and white chocolate cookies. The one I had went down just fine with the free hot chocolate.
So who makes the snacks? Good question. The bilingual wrapper with very detailed ingredients (“may contain peanuts, tree nuts, sulphites and tartrazine”) and nutritional information (170 calories per serving) only says “made exclusively for VANOC, Vancouver, B.C. V5K 5J5.”
At the Olympics, there is paranoia about avoiding sponsor conflicts or making a commercial relationship where one should not exist. But this is taking it a little too far.
Then again, VANOC is one of the most secretive businesses in Canada. The organizer of Canada's Games doesn’t have a Canada flag on the property outside its City of Vancouver-owned headquarters.
The snack table at the Cypress Mountain media centre included -- gasp! -- free cookies. This was in the same room where VANOC was selling Snickers candy bars for $3. The ones with the special Believe wrappers. (I Believe that’s price-gouging!)
There was a whole basket of generic milk and white chocolate cookies. The one I had went down just fine with the free hot chocolate.
So who makes the snacks? Good question. The bilingual wrapper with very detailed ingredients (“may contain peanuts, tree nuts, sulphites and tartrazine”) and nutritional information (170 calories per serving) only says “made exclusively for VANOC, Vancouver, B.C. V5K 5J5.”
At the Olympics, there is paranoia about avoiding sponsor conflicts or making a commercial relationship where one should not exist. But this is taking it a little too far.
Then again, VANOC is one of the most secretive businesses in Canada. The organizer of Canada's Games doesn’t have a Canada flag on the property outside its City of Vancouver-owned headquarters.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Not exactly Canadian Olympic history
I hate to pop your balloon and rain on your parade, but the presentation of the men's moguls gold medal to Canada's Alexandre Bilodeau at B.C. Place Stadium on Feb. 15 was not the first time a Canadian received a Winter Olympics gold medal in a ceremony in Canada.
On June 25, 2004, cross-country skier Beckie Scott was awarded a gold medal for the Salt Lake 2002 5-km pursuit. North Vancouver-based International Olympic Committee member Charmaine Crooks bestowed the medal on Albertan Scott in the midday ceremony at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Scott was the bronze medalist, but a doping scandal caused the Court of Arbitration for Sport to revoke medals from Russians Olga Danilova and Larissa Lazutina, who occupied the top two steps on the podium at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Scott was rightly upgraded.
Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win gold on snow-covered straw and soil at Cypress Mountain on Feb. 14, but Scott was the first Canadian to be awarded winter gold in Canada.
On June 25, 2004, cross-country skier Beckie Scott was awarded a gold medal for the Salt Lake 2002 5-km pursuit. North Vancouver-based International Olympic Committee member Charmaine Crooks bestowed the medal on Albertan Scott in the midday ceremony at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Scott was the bronze medalist, but a doping scandal caused the Court of Arbitration for Sport to revoke medals from Russians Olga Danilova and Larissa Lazutina, who occupied the top two steps on the podium at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Scott was rightly upgraded.
Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win gold on snow-covered straw and soil at Cypress Mountain on Feb. 14, but Scott was the first Canadian to be awarded winter gold in Canada.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Will the Firths be the last?
What we know about the Feb. 12 opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium:
Bryan Adams performed a duet with Nelly Furtado at the Feb. 10 dress rehearsal. On Feb. 6, a recording of Adams and Furtado was played repeatedly inside B.C. Place Stadium. The chorus was “sing something louder so the whole world can hear.” The piece included aboriginal chanting and drumming.
Adams will perform a private show for attendees of Molson Canadian Hockey House after the ceremony.
K.D. Lang and Sarah McLachlan performed solo pieces at the Feb. 10 rehearsal.
Members of the Four Host First Nations offered a welcome greeting. Performers on the white floor were dressed in white, but there were cheerleaders in the grandstands to assist with the audience participation elements. Everyone in the audience will get a bag of props and goodies. The cheerleaders were dressed in red toques, white sweaters, grey pants or slacks and white footwear.
Hudson’s Bay Co. provided the apparel.
Greece will march in first, Canada last. U.S.A. is third to last. Taiwan will be called Chinese Taipei, as usual at Olympics. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean will formally declare the Games open. United States vice-president Joe Biden will be among the VIPs.
VANOC CEO John Furlong and IOC president Jacques Rogge will speak to the audience.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson will carry the Olympic flag.
A giant Olympic flag will be carried by eight people. Will they be eight great Canadians? Will Betty Fox, Terry’s mom, be among them?
A snowboarder flew through the Olympic rings at the rehearsal. A performer who did this stunt was injured during a rehearsal more than a week ago.
A pit for the cauldron was dug in the centre of the floor of the stadium in May 2009. This was among the wish list submitted by executive producer David Atkins to VANOC, which provided another $8.3 million for the production at a May 20 board meeting. The expenditure, but not the details, was disclosed on June 16 by VANOC. Click here to see a photo of the construction site in May and a link to the David Atkins Enterprises report that outlined what the production required.
The cauldron may not burn inside for all 17 days. An outdoor cauldron has been erected to the immediate west of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the international broadcast centre, and is hidden from ground view. The location is called Jack Poole Plaza, dedicated Oct. 2 to the founding VANOC chairman. Poole died in a Vancouver hospital three weeks later after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He passed just hours after the Olympic flame was lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
VANOC CEO John Furlong told Global National on Feb. 11 that Wayne Gretzky would not light the Olympic cauldron.
The Government of Canada is paying $20 million for the ceremony and $25 million for the torch relay. Therefore, the Oct. 2006 brainstorming document released via Access to Information could provide a clue. In that document, it was recommended that an aboriginal athlete light the cauldron, just like at Sydney 2000 where Cathy Freeman did the deed.
Could twin cross-country skiers/ex-Olympians Sharon Firth and Shirley Firth-Larson from the Northwest Territories do the honour at the climax of the Vancouver opening ceremony?
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. PST. The cauldron-lighting will come in the third hour.
Bryan Adams performed a duet with Nelly Furtado at the Feb. 10 dress rehearsal. On Feb. 6, a recording of Adams and Furtado was played repeatedly inside B.C. Place Stadium. The chorus was “sing something louder so the whole world can hear.” The piece included aboriginal chanting and drumming.
Adams will perform a private show for attendees of Molson Canadian Hockey House after the ceremony.
K.D. Lang and Sarah McLachlan performed solo pieces at the Feb. 10 rehearsal.
Members of the Four Host First Nations offered a welcome greeting. Performers on the white floor were dressed in white, but there were cheerleaders in the grandstands to assist with the audience participation elements. Everyone in the audience will get a bag of props and goodies. The cheerleaders were dressed in red toques, white sweaters, grey pants or slacks and white footwear.
Hudson’s Bay Co. provided the apparel.
Greece will march in first, Canada last. U.S.A. is third to last. Taiwan will be called Chinese Taipei, as usual at Olympics. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean will formally declare the Games open. United States vice-president Joe Biden will be among the VIPs.
VANOC CEO John Furlong and IOC president Jacques Rogge will speak to the audience.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson will carry the Olympic flag.
A giant Olympic flag will be carried by eight people. Will they be eight great Canadians? Will Betty Fox, Terry’s mom, be among them?
A snowboarder flew through the Olympic rings at the rehearsal. A performer who did this stunt was injured during a rehearsal more than a week ago.
A pit for the cauldron was dug in the centre of the floor of the stadium in May 2009. This was among the wish list submitted by executive producer David Atkins to VANOC, which provided another $8.3 million for the production at a May 20 board meeting. The expenditure, but not the details, was disclosed on June 16 by VANOC. Click here to see a photo of the construction site in May and a link to the David Atkins Enterprises report that outlined what the production required.
The cauldron may not burn inside for all 17 days. An outdoor cauldron has been erected to the immediate west of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the international broadcast centre, and is hidden from ground view. The location is called Jack Poole Plaza, dedicated Oct. 2 to the founding VANOC chairman. Poole died in a Vancouver hospital three weeks later after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He passed just hours after the Olympic flame was lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
VANOC CEO John Furlong told Global National on Feb. 11 that Wayne Gretzky would not light the Olympic cauldron.
The Government of Canada is paying $20 million for the ceremony and $25 million for the torch relay. Therefore, the Oct. 2006 brainstorming document released via Access to Information could provide a clue. In that document, it was recommended that an aboriginal athlete light the cauldron, just like at Sydney 2000 where Cathy Freeman did the deed.
Could twin cross-country skiers/ex-Olympians Sharon Firth and Shirley Firth-Larson from the Northwest Territories do the honour at the climax of the Vancouver opening ceremony?
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. PST. The cauldron-lighting will come in the third hour.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
IOC at the QET
The most exclusive event in the Olympic city on Feb. 9 was the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee's 122nd session at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
The cultural component, a Canadian Welcome, included the Aliqua women’s vocal group performing the Olympic anthem, Langley Ukelele Ensemble doing What a Wonderful World, Circus West acrobats and Marianas Trench, a pop-punk band that had some IOC members bobbing their heads, but a few plugging their ears. Unfortunately the show relied on lip-synching and performers were not introduced before or after their number.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell offered the opening remarks of the Patrick Roberge-produced event.
Sponsors and government partners and VANOC executives joined the IOC at the Queen E. Canadian Olympic Committee president Mike Chambers, VANOC CEO John Furlong and IOC president Jacques Rogge all spoke. Furlong was given an immediate standing ovation by most of the crowd. Many in the IOC section in the centre orchestra seating were slow to get up or didn't bother. Rogge remarked that Furlong had a standing ovation and the Games had not even begun.
Afterward, the adjacent Four Host First Nations’ Chiefs’ House was used for overflow where Canada's Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean held court.
Among those spotted at the post-event reception were Vancouver Olympic Village developers Shahram Malekyazdi and Peter Malek, B.C. finance minister and former Olympics minister Colin Hansen, B.C. Pavilion Corporation chairman David Podmore, Canadian Olympic team Dr. Bob McCormack, former Canadian Olympic Committee vice-president Bob Hindmarch, Prince of Orange of Netherlands, International Triathlon Union founder Les McDonald, Easton sporting goods’ founder Jim Easton, Arthur Griffiths and Francesco Aquilini. Charmaine Crooks, the 1984 silver medal sprinter, introduced me to Prince Albert of Monaco, who is officially known as the Serene Highness. It's not false advertising. A pleasant, serene fella you'd never guess is an aristocrat or former Olympic bobsledder. We chatted about the famed St. Moritz track in Switzerland that I visited in November and he actually took a run on last month.
Griffiths is the ex-owner of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place who led the domestic bid for the 2010 Games that beat out Calgary and Quebec City in 1998. Aquilini bought half of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place from John McCaw in 2005 and gained the rest in a subsequent transaction.
Also spotted was Vic Poleschuk, who was fired in 2007 from the presidency of the B.C. Lottery Corporation after the B.C. Ombudsman issued a report highly critical of the Crown corporation for lax security, including lottery wins by retailers. BCLC is a Vancouver 2010 sponsor, but the deal it made with VANOC won't let it offer odds on Olympic hockey games. So anyone who really feels the need to gamble on the Games will place a bet on websites that are technically illegal under Canada's Criminal Code. Good job, VANOC.
The IOC members were whisked back to the Westin Bayshore Hotel via two Cherrey Motor Coaches from Drayton, Ont. and a Brewster bus from Banff, Alta. The Brewster bus idled for several minutes outside the civic theatre.
IOC members got down to business Feb. 10 at the Bayshore and chose Nanjing, China over Poznan, Poland 47 votes to 42 to host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games. The first Youth Games are in Singapore Aug. 14-26.
Lee Kun-Hee made his first appearance in an IOC session since being readmitted on Feb. 7 by the executive board. Lee, the former head of Samsung, was sentenced to three years after a tax evasion conviction. He was pardoned so that he could make a bid to return to the upper ranks of the IOC and promote the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games bid.
PyeongChang was the runner-up when Vancouver was chosen for 2010 on July 2, 2003. PyeongChang also lost to Sochi 2014 when voting was held in 2007.
The cultural component, a Canadian Welcome, included the Aliqua women’s vocal group performing the Olympic anthem, Langley Ukelele Ensemble doing What a Wonderful World, Circus West acrobats and Marianas Trench, a pop-punk band that had some IOC members bobbing their heads, but a few plugging their ears. Unfortunately the show relied on lip-synching and performers were not introduced before or after their number.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell offered the opening remarks of the Patrick Roberge-produced event.
Sponsors and government partners and VANOC executives joined the IOC at the Queen E. Canadian Olympic Committee president Mike Chambers, VANOC CEO John Furlong and IOC president Jacques Rogge all spoke. Furlong was given an immediate standing ovation by most of the crowd. Many in the IOC section in the centre orchestra seating were slow to get up or didn't bother. Rogge remarked that Furlong had a standing ovation and the Games had not even begun.
Afterward, the adjacent Four Host First Nations’ Chiefs’ House was used for overflow where Canada's Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean held court.
Among those spotted at the post-event reception were Vancouver Olympic Village developers Shahram Malekyazdi and Peter Malek, B.C. finance minister and former Olympics minister Colin Hansen, B.C. Pavilion Corporation chairman David Podmore, Canadian Olympic team Dr. Bob McCormack, former Canadian Olympic Committee vice-president Bob Hindmarch, Prince of Orange of Netherlands, International Triathlon Union founder Les McDonald, Easton sporting goods’ founder Jim Easton, Arthur Griffiths and Francesco Aquilini. Charmaine Crooks, the 1984 silver medal sprinter, introduced me to Prince Albert of Monaco, who is officially known as the Serene Highness. It's not false advertising. A pleasant, serene fella you'd never guess is an aristocrat or former Olympic bobsledder. We chatted about the famed St. Moritz track in Switzerland that I visited in November and he actually took a run on last month.
Griffiths is the ex-owner of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place who led the domestic bid for the 2010 Games that beat out Calgary and Quebec City in 1998. Aquilini bought half of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place from John McCaw in 2005 and gained the rest in a subsequent transaction.
Also spotted was Vic Poleschuk, who was fired in 2007 from the presidency of the B.C. Lottery Corporation after the B.C. Ombudsman issued a report highly critical of the Crown corporation for lax security, including lottery wins by retailers. BCLC is a Vancouver 2010 sponsor, but the deal it made with VANOC won't let it offer odds on Olympic hockey games. So anyone who really feels the need to gamble on the Games will place a bet on websites that are technically illegal under Canada's Criminal Code. Good job, VANOC.
The IOC members were whisked back to the Westin Bayshore Hotel via two Cherrey Motor Coaches from Drayton, Ont. and a Brewster bus from Banff, Alta. The Brewster bus idled for several minutes outside the civic theatre.
IOC members got down to business Feb. 10 at the Bayshore and chose Nanjing, China over Poznan, Poland 47 votes to 42 to host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games. The first Youth Games are in Singapore Aug. 14-26.
Lee Kun-Hee made his first appearance in an IOC session since being readmitted on Feb. 7 by the executive board. Lee, the former head of Samsung, was sentenced to three years after a tax evasion conviction. He was pardoned so that he could make a bid to return to the upper ranks of the IOC and promote the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games bid.
PyeongChang was the runner-up when Vancouver was chosen for 2010 on July 2, 2003. PyeongChang also lost to Sochi 2014 when voting was held in 2007.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
