Vancouver Whistler was awarded the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games on June 2, 2003. The irony – Vancouver has one of the mildest winters in the entire country. Whistler, with an average annual snowfall of 30 feet, is hosting any event that requires snow to be on the ground during the Games. Vancouver will be hosting sports that occur in rinks – hockey, skating, curling.
Canada previously hosted the Winter Games in 1988 in Calgary and the Summer Games in Montreal in 1976. Canada fares much better, medal-wise, in winter sports than in summer sports. We had the dubious distinction in Montreal of being the only host team of a Summer Games not to have won a gold medal. We did more than double the number of medals won in Munich ’72 (5) to 11 in ’76. At least we fare better on the world stage now.
I know the spirit of the Olympics is about competing, not winning. But really – who deep down really wants to lose?
It really hasn’t sunk in that the Games will be here. I can actually walk to some of the venues. But 2010 will be here in the blink of an eye.