Olympics 2010 - Feb. 12 to 28 Official Olympics thread, everything Olympics goes here

[Racefan]

I love both the summer and winter Olympics. My favorite is the figure skating. The judging better be fair this year. Go Patrick Chan. I hope he can do it. I wanted to go and watch in person. I figured it would cost a fortune to go to BC, so I'll be watching from home. I got to visit Vancouver last summer.

[AmberLab]

I've never been, but I do watch the opening ceremonies and the hockey.

My father-in-law is hopping on a plane to head out there tomorrow. Happened quickly, he just got the call that they officially hired him. He's going out to drive the bus, they hired around 300 bus drivers across the country and it's quite the cushy job with everything paid for.

[Natalka]

Wow, that's great for your dad, AmberLab!

[tommygunn]

You've shattered my...my...remembering of that!
Please say it isn't so!!

It was all explained in ceremonies producer Ric Birch's book 'Master of the Ceremonies - An Eventful Life'.

[tommygunn]

I'm most curious as to who will be doing the final leg with the torch, and light the stadium flame.
Who would you like to see as the final torchbearer? My first choice would be Wayne Gretzky.

Gretzky seems to be a name that's been bandied about often.. same with Bobby Orr.

I'd personally like to see Terry Fox's mother, Betty, light the cauldron!

[Patty Smyth]

Gretzky seems to be a name that's been bandied about often.. same with Bobby Orr.

I'd personally like to see Terry Fox's mother, Betty, light the cauldron!

It better not be a politician.

[Lynn49]

It better not be a politician.

Yeah...only in Canada!!!

But what I don't understand, is why a professional hockey player? Isn't this a game for amateurs? Surely there's someone else who is deserving? Who might also LIVE in Canada??

[tommygunn]

But what I don't understand, is why a professional hockey player? Isn't this a game for amateurs?

Tell that to all the NHL'ers who'll be competing in the Olympics!

[Patty Smyth]

At least the playing field is level now. Remember when all the east block countries were paying their hockey players and we had to send amateurs?

I think it should be a great Olympian but since Clara Hughes is already carrying the who is another really great Olympian? I mean she is right up there and I really think she is under appreciated because she is a woman. If it were a man who won medals in both Olympics they would be on top of the world.

[greentires4me]

well after most citizens after they found that their tax money was or has gone to paying for their local councils to go to the games. Prime tickets to events costly like thousands and thousands of dollars some of the council member have rejected the tickets were some have accepted them. Did you see the map on how they are going to run through BC looks funny...

http://www.vancouver2010.com/dl/00/1...nal_14d-Lh.pdf

They call it the Whistler Olympics but most of the venues are in other areas like Vancouver, Richmond, and Cypress Mountain.

Canada Hockey Place is were the first game for the Women Can vs SVK play Feb 13 and the men don't play till Feb 16th. Formally known as GM Place where the Canucks normally play.
Opening and closing ceremonies are in BC Place Stadium where the BC Lions would play during the Spring/Summer. This stadium is having major leaks so if i was going bring a poncho since umbrella's aren't allowed.
Pacific Colosseum is where Figure Skating and Speed Short Track Skating be taking place normally is home to Vancouver Giants the AHL Team.
Cypress Mountain is having anything Snowboarding and Freestyle Skiing.
Curling is happening in a new site across the Street from Queens Park.
Speed Skating is taking place at the Richmond Olympic Oval just built yet they are already having problems with regulating temperatures.
Most of Womans Hockey will be taking place on UBC Campus in their new UBC Thunderbird Arena.
The rest of the events take place in Whistler.

Several Athletes have moved out of the Athletes Village citing its too noisy and way too far away from their events. Some how no one is concerned about this since its a couple million dollar new structure they built just for the athletes.

[tommygunn]

They call it the Whistler Olympics but most of the venues are in other areas like Vancouver...

Who calls it the Whistler Olympics?

Maybe people in Whistler .. but, the rest of the world calls it the Vancouver Olympics!

[anisa]

Yay Vancouver!

[Natalka]

Of course, I love the legacy of Terry Fox, but him/his mom have nothing to do with sport.
Final torchbearers for 1988 Calgary Olympics were Cathy Priestner and Ken Read - who then gave it to 12 year old Robyn Perry (now Ainsworth) who lit the cauldron. She was a figure skater, chosen to represent the youth.

Other choices - Catriona Le May Doan, Hayley Wickenheiser, Nancy Green would be cool - there are LOTS of past medalists... Elvis Stojko. Cindy Klassen, Gaetan Boucher, Sale and Pelletier, Marc Gagnon, Beckie Scott...
Barbara Ann Scott would be MOST awesome - she's over 80, and carried the torch into Parliament last year... That's sentimental for me, she was one of my mom's favourites, and she had a doll of her when she was little.

[greentires4me]

Because Whistler was the one who put in the bid...and they are using Whistler and Cypress instead of other mountains like Grouse or Seymour...maybe instead we should call it the Gordon Cambell Olympics...funny I watched the torch party in toronto and they called it the best thing that ever happened in toronto...

[tommygunn]

Of course, I love the legacy of Terry Fox, but him/his mom have nothing to do with sport.

Really?

Besides being an incredible humanitarian and activist, he's also considered a great athlete.

Running the equivalent of a marathon a day for 143 days, his 'Marathon of Hope' is quite the achievement for any athlete.. let alone one with a handicap.

December 1980 - Terry Fox awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of 1980.

August 29, 1981 - Terry Fox is posthumously inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

December 1990 - The Sports Network (TSN) names Terry Fox Athlete of the Decade; the field included Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan.

At this year's Olympics, the Terry Fox Award "will be awarded to an Olympic athlete who embodies Fox's characteristics of determination and humility in the face of adversity".

Betty Fox would be a much better choice than individuals nobody has ever heard of.. (see Calgary and Montreal)