tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48237022206716353972024-02-19T02:14:56.482-08:00Vancouver Olympics 2010XXI Olympic Winter Games | Vancouver 2010 | Winter Olympics in Vancouvermohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-34930156593877143802010-02-13T12:58:00.000-08:002010-02-13T11:34:18.144-08:00How to Get Tickets to the Vancouver OlympicsEverybody wants to know where to get tickets for the Vancouver Olympics. Tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games were released and sold in phases. Every step of the ticket program was designed to be simple, fair and accessible for any person interested in attending the Games. The first tickets went on sale on October 3, 2008. Tickets were released in subsequent batches.<br /><br />The Vancouver 2010 organization held back some of what they considered to be the best tickets and they are offering them through an online auction. These tickets are generally the best seats in the most popular events. For example, there are tickets to assorted hockey games and figure skating events. This is not how to get cheap tickets to the Vancouver Olympics. A set of 4 tickets to the medal gold medal match is now at a bid of close to $12,000.00<br /><br />The non-auction prices are a lot more reasonable. Tickets for the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies range in price from $175-$1,100. The cost for tickets to attend the closing ceremonies ranges in price from $175-$775. Tickets to either the Mens or Ladies free skate are a steep $450. However, tickets to either the Mens or Ladies downhill competition are a more reasonable $150.<br /><br />For those people without deep pockets there are some cheaper Olympic ticket events that might interest them. There are some reasonably priced Vancouver Olympic tickets. For the B quality seating every biathlon event is $25. The same goes for the cross-country skiing events. For the same caliber of seating the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events run between $30-40 depending upon the event.<br /><br />Tickets for the mens hockey gold medal match run between $350-$775 per seat but you can catch some mens preliminary hockey games for as low as $50. Tickets to the womens hockey events are much cheaper. Tickets to the early womens hockey matches are as low as $25. Tickets to the womens hockey gold medal match cost between $125-$325 per ticket.<br /><br />It is also possible to buy tickets through a system called fan to fan. This system allows people to re-sell their tickets legitimately. Each purchaser is issued a new official ticket and the bar code on the original ticket becomes invalid. No ticket can be sold for less than the face value of the ticket.<br /><br />In recognition of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Visa sponsorship Visa is the only credit card accepted.<br /><br />It is also possible to buy tickets privately through websites like Craigslist and you will be certain to see some scalpers around the Olympic venues.<br /><br />The answer to how to get tickets to the Vancouver Olympics is varied. It is still possible to get tickets to most events. If money is not a limiting factor then you can still get excellent tickets to the Vancouver Olympics.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-63317319321033980712010-02-13T11:07:00.000-08:002010-02-14T08:03:45.521-08:00Luge Events Suspended at Vancouver Olympic GamesSafety at the Vancouver Olympic luge track was a concern leading up to the February 12th fatal Luge accident involving twenty-one year old Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili.<p>Before that training run, athletes were clocking course records and getting into dangerous high-speed crashes. It is thought that the Whistler course is the world's fastest and most dangerous. </p><p>Just prior to Kumaritashvili's fatal crash, Italy's Armin Zoeggeler, the defending Olympic champion, lost control of his sled in the first run of the day. Zoeggeler was able to walk away from the accident and appeared uninjured. However, on the day before a Romanian athlete named Violeta Stramaturaru had to be airlifted out after a crash.</p><p>The crashes came after Austrian Manuel Pfister clocked the fastest luge speed ever recorded. On February 11, he managed to clock 154 km/h which slightly tops 153.98 km/h, set at Whistler in 2009.</p><p>After learning that a <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2010/02/death-of-olympic-athelete-at-whistler.html">Olympic luge athlete died</a> after a fatal injury, Josef Benz, the chair of the International Luge Federation was pondering whether to cancel or postpone luge events out of a lack of track safety. As of early February 13th, no decision had been reached. Benz was a Swiss bobsledder who competed in two Winter Olympics, and won one gold.</p><p>The current Olympic course features several dangerous technical elements, including a massive 152-metre drop. The drop is the world's longest and is approximately equal to 48 stories. The 1,450-metre course includes 16 turns. One such turn is referred to as 50/50 because the athletes feel their chances of making it safely through the corner were the same as a coin flip.</p><p>Olympic champion Zoeggeler predicted that racers would top 155 km/h at the Vancouver Olympics. The International Luge Federation wants to impose speed limits on the next courses to be built out of a concern for athlete safety. They are suggesting that 155 km/hr will be the top limit allowable.<br /></p><p>However, speed is not the only issue. Serious concerns have been raised about the pole Kumaritashvili hit. Why wasn't the pole padded. You can see from the pictures that the pole was in close proximity to the track and it was conceivable that an athlete might strike the pole. Maybe padding would not have saved his life, but it's a question which still needs to be answered.</p><p>Officials from other countries believe it was irresponsible for Canadian authorities to limit practice times to only 40 training runs. The Canadian athletes had access to more than 300 training runs. It would appear that there are a lot of questions that need to be answered.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;">[Update: The luge events will proceed on schedule. Less than 24 hours after the fatal crash, the track was reopened. The officials have decided to raise the wall that the former Olympic athlete careened over. In a joint statement, the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee and luge’s international governing body blamed the athlete, and not the track for the accident.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;"> “It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16,” the statement said. “This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident. The technical officials of the FIL were able to retrace the path of the athlete and concluded there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track.”]</p><p>The safety of all athletes is a paramount concern. The death of a luge athlete at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com">Vancouver Olympic Games</a> has brought this to the attention of the world.<br /></p><p><br /></p>mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-31106036466504503502010-02-12T12:46:00.000-08:002010-02-13T14:41:52.889-08:00Death of Olympic Athlete at Whistler Sliding Centre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuRBRhB2IM25pqSn56rh-dkQ3vT_fIFrgk499DpcIo9ycWSTEe03pWigvrL88V2o2G5q4ISSsXfQtSbsoE2UhJu5CrNAnqWpVbVqay6Jx66ukwfArWmNAwB4F49nsykPk9jDmSqSNvhBN/s1600-h/luge+accident+at+Olympics.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuRBRhB2IM25pqSn56rh-dkQ3vT_fIFrgk499DpcIo9ycWSTEe03pWigvrL88V2o2G5q4ISSsXfQtSbsoE2UhJu5CrNAnqWpVbVqay6Jx66ukwfArWmNAwB4F49nsykPk9jDmSqSNvhBN/s320/luge+accident+at+Olympics.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437506611113228898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53yCutJc1wVgLq2UUgELVUmIyNeMHDopQwKRFIhLNTwuE-cEuTfr6fE-Rnc2a0xWLbMGpVib8bZ3zEc3JuRyd0JbM6Q6j-VdngowCMsdqp99RqaC2iW40WK6BzePRtvXgraMCL2C1jb4h/s1600-h/Olympic+luge+athelete.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53yCutJc1wVgLq2UUgELVUmIyNeMHDopQwKRFIhLNTwuE-cEuTfr6fE-Rnc2a0xWLbMGpVib8bZ3zEc3JuRyd0JbM6Q6j-VdngowCMsdqp99RqaC2iW40WK6BzePRtvXgraMCL2C1jb4h/s320/Olympic+luge+athelete.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437470889765081186" border="0" /></a><br />There has been a tragic death of an Olympic athlete at the Whistler Sliding Centre just days before the opening of the Vancouver Olympic Games. A luge athlete from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed in a crash while training on the Olympic track at the Whistler Sliding Center on February 12, 2010. His death was confirmed by an official at the track.<br /><br />Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled near the end of his run. At the time he was moving at an estimated 88 miles an hour. The athlete was propelled over the track wall into a steel pole. The luge event can be terribly dangerous and lugers can reach incredibly fast speeds.<br /><br />Training was immediately suspended on the track. Paramedics were at the athlete's side within minutes and emergency chest compressions were commenced. The athlete was air lifted to a trauma centre at Whistler.<br /><br />Many competitors have already complained about the track. The athletes are saying the track is unsafe as it is too fast and too dangerous. There has yet been no official statement issued by the Vancouver Winter Olympics Committee.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-62978811998291131122010-01-06T15:15:00.000-08:002010-01-06T16:22:56.454-08:00Accomodation for the 2010 Vancouver OlympicsPeople are just scrambling to find accommodations for the upcoming Vancouver Olympics. And just like every Olympic Games in modern times accommodations are going to be hard to find and just a wee bit pricey. It is a supply and demand thing. When the world descends upon Vancouver to watch the Olympic Games, the demand for accommodation is going to outstrip the supply of available accommodations. When demand is greater than supply, prices are sure to go up.<br /><br />How to find decent accommodations for the Olympics is a pretty tough question. For people that have left it too late it might be an impossible question to answer satisfactory. This first thing to consider is what area of Vancouver is that best to stay in if you are going to the Olympics. If you have the luxury of being able to choose among various places then you will be lucky. If you are so lucky then the answer will depend on what events you intend to see. The Olympic events are held in several venues around Vancouver, including Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond and West Vancouver.<br /><br />If you intend to watch the downhill skiing events you might want to stay closer to Whistler. If you intend to go to the men's or women's hockey games then it would be easier if you found accommodation in the city of Vancouver. Go online to determine the location of the events you intend to see before confirming your accommodations. If you cannot find accommodation close to the events you wish to see, do not worry. There will be plenty of public transportation services in place for the Vancouver Olympics.<br /><br />Once you have determined the general area of Vancouver that appeals to you, you need to consider the type of accommodation that would suit you best. There are many different types of accommodation in Vancouver. Each different type has it's own pros and cons. The best type to choose will depend on your needs and your budget.<br /><br />The most obvious form of accommodation for the Vancouver Games is a hotel. Vancouver has plenty of hotels to choose from although by now most have been getting quite full. The best place to start a search for Vancouver hotel accommodation is online. You could Google Vancouver hotels and that would result in a list of different web sites. You could also go to special travel web sites like Expedia.com or hotel.com or itravel2000.ca. Each of these specialized travel sites will have a search engine that allows you to specify your needs and budget. Before booking any hotel over the internet it is wise to check with other peer or customer review web sites like Tripadvisor to see what previous customers had to say about the hotel. Vancouver has all the big hotel chains in the downtown core including the Marriott, The Four Seasons, The Fairmont and various other well known international hotels.<br /><br />If you are traveling to the Vancouver Olympics with your family or a large group, you might want to consider renting a house. There are all sorts of advantages to renting a house for the Olympics. It would be much cheaper for 3-4 couples to rent a house for a few weeks over the Olympics than to rent 3-4 hotel rooms. However, cheap houses for rent in Vancouver will be in tight supply. A big benefit of renting a house while at the Olympics is that you can do some of your own cooking. It will be a lot less expensive for your group if you do not have to eat all of your meals in a restaurant. You could also rent a condo for the Olympics. If you are going to be in the Whistler area you could rent a ski chalet for the Olympics.<br /><br />Another cheap Vancouver accommodation option is a house share. People are often willing to rent a room in their house. This option is likely to be the cheapest way of staying during the Van Olympics. Often the house share will include limited use of the kitchen or a few meals. This option is a good way to meet people but it affords the least privacy. The best way to find out about house sharing options is to go online and look through electronic bulletin boards such as Craigslist.<br /><br />With the Olympic Games just a few weeks away, it is becoming more and more difficult to find good and reasonably priced accommodation in Vancouver. The competition is going to be fierce for the few remaining spots. In fact finding accommodation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics might just be a new Olympic event.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-87462782494121457292010-01-06T10:13:00.000-08:002010-01-06T10:49:31.309-08:00Team USA: American Mens Olympic HockeyThe <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">American men's Olympic hockey team</a> is capable of winning gold at The Vancouver Olympics. Team USA might be the youngest and the smallest of any team in the Olympic hockey tournament. In order to have a chance at the gold medal, the coaches will have to make no strategic mistakes. <br /><br />The coach of Team USA, Ron Wilson is carefully examining the trends of past Olympic hockey tournaments in settling on his goal tending plans for the 2010 Vancouver Games. <br />The American coach said he's leaning towards sticking with the hot hand, rather than alternating between net minders. <br /><br />However, choosing a starting net minder won't be an easy task. He will need to pick between the Sabres star Ryan Miller, the very talented Tim Thomas of the Bruins and the excellent newcomer Jonathan Quick of the Kings. He will need to make this decision before the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament begins on Feb. 16. Wilson has indicated that he will likely choose one man and stick with that choice throughout the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/vancouver-olympic-hockey-schedule.html">Olympic hockey tournament</a>. Wilson was quoted as saying: "Generally speaking, the teams that have, if you look in the past, won the gold medal, have played one goaltender. It's not unlike what you do in the playoffs, as well. More than likely that's what I would do but we'll see when the time comes.'' <br /><br />A quick review of Olympic hockey history backs up his contention. At the 1998 Olympics in Nagano Dominik Hasek played in all six games as the Czech Republic won the Olympic gold medal. This was the first year that NHLers were allowed to compete at the Olympics.<br /><br />At the next Olympic hockey tournament in Salt Lake City Martin Brodeur played in five straight matches for Canada. Brodeur took over from Curtis Joseph who had backstopped an opening 5-2 humiliation to Sweden. Canada went on to win the gold medal. At the next Olympics in Turin in 2006, the talented Henrik Lundqvist played in six of Sweden's eight games on the road to Olympic gold. <br /><br />Wilson went on to say: "One of our things we talked about here and with our players as well, is that we're not going to Vancouver to prepare anyone for Sochi. This is about going to Vancouver to win a gold medal.'' <br /><br />It's anyone's guess who will appear between the pipes when the time comes. However, the safe money is likely in Ryan Miller. Can Team USA win the hockey gold medal? It's not impossible. However, for the American hockey team to win Olympic gold at the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament the coaches will have to play it smart.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-38211840259495952542010-01-05T15:56:00.000-08:002010-01-06T10:21:27.601-08:00Who Will Win the Gold in Mens Hockey at the Vancouver GamesWho will win the gold in <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/vancouver-olympic-hockey-schedule.html">mens Olympic hockey</a> at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics? In the last week most of the teams have announced there line ups. There haven't been too many surprises. Some folks in Calgary are a wee but upset that some of their players didn't make the Canadian mens hockey team. A few were surprised in Ottawa that newly engaged Mike Fischer was left off Team Canada but happy to hear Alfie wouldn't play for Team Sweden if he was still injured.<br /><br />So who are the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com">Olympic hockey gold medal contenders</a>? It is widely thought that Canada has the strongest hockey team. Even Sports Illustrated wrote that Canada had an awesome team and they were the team to beat. However, has the Turin Olympics demonstrated, one bad day can blow everything. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Canada </span> <br />The hometown team has to be given the nod for the gold medal. For Canadians anything less than a double gold in the hockey events will be a failure. Team Canada will be the most talented team in the hockey tournament. Team Canada will also benefit from the decision to use NHL-sized ice surface (as opposed to a larger international sized ice surface). The motivation to win gold at home will be incredible. Well-rounded Canada has all the ingredients to win gold. There is unbelievable scoring talent, starting with Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Ryan Getzlaf. The defense will be stacked with strong and tough players like Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf. There is also a depth of talent between the pipes. Although goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were injured, Canada is certain to be strong in goal. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Russia </span> <br />Russia also has a hot hockey team competing at the Vancouver Olympics. This hockey team will be built around an impressive list of top scorers in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin lead the Russian hockey team. These guys are rivals in the regular season so their chemistry might be off. Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk will add to the heavy Russian fire power. It is thought that Russia might have its strongest group of goalies ever: Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Nikolai Khabibulin. It was the Russian hockey team that destroyed Team Canadas chances of a gold medal at the Turin Games in 2006.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sweden </span><br />This team won the last Olympic gold medal. This time they may be without the scoring power of Daniel Alfredson who is nursing an injured shoulder. The other stars of this 2006 gold medal-winning squad are getting a bit older, so the young guys will need to step up their hockey game. Forward Henrik Zetterberg will be responsible for the lion's share of the scoring. However, the offense is strong with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Nicklas Bäckström. It remains to be seen whether Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin will be on the roster. Nicklas Lidstrom is still be among the best defensemen in the world and he will be a factor for team Sweden. Gold medalist, Henrik Lundqvist, will undoubtedly be strong for the Swedish hockey team.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Finland </span><br />This Finnish Olympic hockey team shocked the world by winning the silver medal in mens hockey competition at the 2006 Turin Olympics. However, his team thrived on the international-sized ice, something it won't have at the Vancouver Olympics. Forward Teemu Selänne is getting on in years but he will still be Finland's top player while Olli Jokinen, and Mikko and Saku Koivu will help with the scoring. <br /><br />Other teams such as Team USA also have strong chances. Out of the four hockey teams detailed above, Team Canada has to be expected to win the Olympic gold medal in hockey.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-79501705224842962272010-01-01T09:38:00.000-08:002010-02-13T14:07:38.099-08:00Team USA: Olympic Hockey<p>The USA Olympic hockey team for the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">2010 Vancouver Olympics</a> has a lot of new and fresh faces. The usual veterans including Chelios, Weight, and Modano, have been replaced by a new generation of Olympic hockey players.</p> <p>Brian Burke, the general manager of the US Olympic hockey team, announced the preliminary roster on January 1, 2010. This roster is not necessarily final. The roster can be altered up to 24 hours before the Olympic hockey tournament commences. If a player is injured before the start of the Olympic hockey tournament he can be replaced by one of the alternates.<br /></p> <p>The US hockey team will field 3 goalies at the Vancouver Olympics. The goaltenders include: Tim Thomas, age 35, Ryan Miller, age 29 and Jonathan Quick, 24. The alternative goaltender is Craig Anderson.<br /></p> The US Olympic hockey team will field a strong defence, [update] despite the fact that they have already had to call upon some of the alternates due to injury. Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek both had to withdraw due to injury after being announced to the roster. They have been replaced by Ryan Whitney, age 26 and Tim Gleason, age 27. The balance of the defence squad includes: Brian Rafalski, age 36, Ryan Suter, age 25, Erik Johnson, age 21, Brooks Orpik, age 29, and Jack Johnson, age 23. The remaining alternate candidates for the defence positions on Olympic Team USA include: Matt Niskanen, Ron Hainsey, Alex Goligoski, Matt Carle and Rob Scuderi.<br /> <p>The US Olympic hockey squad is rounded out by an impressive array of young forwards. The forwards include: Zach Parise, age 25, Chris Drury, age 32, Dustin Brown, age 25, Jamie Langenbrunner, age 34, Paul Stastny, age 24, David Backes, age 25, Patrick Kane, age 21, Phil Kessel, age 22, Ryan Kesler, age 25, Bobby Ryan, age 22, Joe Pavelski, age 25, Ryan Malone, age 31, and Ryan Callahan, age 24. The remaining alternate candidates for forward positions on Olympic Team USA include: Jason Pominville, David Booth, Scott Gomez, T.J. Oshie and Brian Gionta.</p><p>Team USA is not considered to be one of the top medal contenders in the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament. The favorites include the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/canadian-mens-olympic-hockey-team.html">Canadian Mens Olympic hockey team</a> and Team Russia. However, the Americans are capable of surprising. The US Olympic hockey team will play their first game is against Switzerland on February 16th.<br /></p>mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-37647444216935236912009-12-30T10:59:00.000-08:002010-02-13T14:08:38.261-08:00Vancouver Olympic Hockey Schedule.The Schedule of the Vancouver Olympics Mens Hockey Tournament<br /><br />Tuesday, February 16<br /><br />12:00 <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2010/01/team-usa-olympic-hockey.html">USA</a> vs. SWITZERLAND<br />16:30 CANADA vs. NORWAY<br />21:00 RUSSIA vs. LATVIA<br /><br /><br />Wednesday, February 17<br /><br />12:00 FINLAND vs. BELARUS<br />16:30 SWEDEN vs. GERMANY<br />21:00 CZECH REPUBLIC vs. SLOVAKIA<br /><br /><br />Thursday, February 18<br /><br />12:00 USA vs. NORWAY<br />16:30 SWITZERLAND vs. CANADA<br />21:00 SLOVAKIA vs. RUSSIA<br /><br /><br />Friday, February 19<br /><br />12:00 BELARUS vs. SWEDEN<br />16:30 CZECH REPUBLIC vs. LATVIA<br />21:00 FINLAND vs. GERMANY<br /><br /><br />Saturday, February 20<br /><br />12:00 NORWAY vs. SWITZERLAND<br />16:30 LATVIA vs. SLOVAKIA<br />21:00 GERMANY vs. BELARUS<br /><br /><br />Sunday, February 21<br /><br />12:00 RUSSIA vs. CZECH REPUBLIC<br />16:30 CANADA vs. USA --sure to be an excellent game<br />21:00 SWEDEN vs. FINLAND--sure to be an excellent game<br /><br /><br />Tuesday, February 23<br /><br />12:00 QUALIFICATION 1<br />16:30 QUALIFICATION 2<br />19:00 QUALIFICATION 3 (at UBC Thunderbird Arena)<br />21:00 QUALIFICATION 4<br /><br /><br />(if qualified, USA will play 12:00 game)<br />(if qualified, Canada will play 16:30 game)<br /><br /><br />Wednesday, February 24<br /><br />12:00 QUARTERFINAL 1<br />16:30 QUARTERFINAL 2<br />19:00 QUARTERFINAL 3 (at UBC Thunderbird Arena)<br />21:00 QUARTERFINAL 4<br /><br /><br />(if qualified, USA will play 12:00 game or 21:00 game)<br />(if qualified, Canada will play 16:30 game)<br /><br /><br />Friday, February 26<br /><br />12:00 Semifinal 1<br />18:30 Semifinal 2<br /><br /><br />(if qualified, USA will play 12:00 game)<br />(if qualified, Canada will play 18:30 game)<br /><br /><br />Saturday, February 27<br /><br />19:00 Mens Hockey Bronze Medal Game<br /><br /><br />GOLD MEDAL GAME<br />Sunday, February 28<br /><br />12:15 Mens Hockey Gold Medal Gamemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-18466577947246427672009-12-30T10:11:00.000-08:002009-12-30T10:17:00.378-08:00World Record Holder in Womans Speed Skating Fails to Qualify in World Record Event.The speed skating world record holder Cindy Klassen has failed to secure the right to defend her record at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com">2010 Vancouver Olympic Games</a>. Klassen failed to qualify for a berth on the Canadian Olympic team at the 1,000 meter distance. She had a weak showing amongst strong competitors at the Canadian Olympic qualifying trials held at the Olympic Oval on December 29, 2009.<br /><br />Klassen won an astounding 5 Olympic medals in speed skating at the last Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.<br /><br />“After I finished my race, I knew it’d be difficult to make it,” admitted the world-record holder at 1,000 metres. “I really like the 1,000. It would’ve been nice to qualify. But it hasn’t been that strong for me.” She went on to say “that’s the way it goes. When you open the way I did, it’s just not fast enough”.<br /><br />Cindy Klassen is attempting a comeback after having two knee surgeries. She had already secured an Olympic speed skating berth in the 3,000 metres event a few days earlier in the Olympic trials.<br /><br />Given the depth of Canadian talent at 1,000 metres, Klassen really had her work cut out for her. She won the silver medal at the last Winter Olympics in Turin at that distance but she will have to watch the event from the sidelines at the Vancouver Games. Klassen still has a chance to qualify for the Canadian Olympic team in the 1,500 metres event. Klassen won this event four years ago in Turin.<br /><br />With Christine Nesbitt already having pre-qualified for the Vancouver Olympics, three spots were left available in the women’s 1,000 meter. These spots will be filled by new comer Brittany Schussler, Kristina Groves, and Shannon Rempel. The Canadian team will be exceptionally strong at this distance.<br /><br />Look for the Canadian women speed skaters to spend some time on the Olympic speed skating podium at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-40487470760956962052009-12-30T09:34:00.001-08:002010-02-13T12:42:11.263-08:00Canadian Mens Olympic Hockey Team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z0_bJ2mZlEHh1Elu8t2Nz9Tj1wUx3d260QywjNOQeraptpcnT7En1DrmqSPRjDuogPh3AXwWnIteSAFuwRMX1FI1muw5FvstKEptm0Iawad3n68Y9N7WsQ8ObyetUInW1RlQ_SOx_d4k/s1600-h/team-canada-jersey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z0_bJ2mZlEHh1Elu8t2Nz9Tj1wUx3d260QywjNOQeraptpcnT7En1DrmqSPRjDuogPh3AXwWnIteSAFuwRMX1FI1muw5FvstKEptm0Iawad3n68Y9N7WsQ8ObyetUInW1RlQ_SOx_d4k/s320/team-canada-jersey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437829041712042818" border="0" /></a><br />On December 29, 2009, Hockey Canada announced the Canadian Men’s Olympic hockey roster for the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">Vancouver Olympics</a>. The announcement of the Canadian Olympic hockey team was made at widely televised and highly anticipated press conference.<br /><br />The team consists of 3 goalies, 13 forwards and 7 defencemen. All 23 hockey players have international experience, including eight Olympians and, all together the Olympic hockey players have played in 702 international games and thousands of NHL games.<br /><br />It was also announced that veteran Scott Niedermayer will be Canada’s captain at the Vancouver Olympics, while Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Chris Pronger) will serve as alternate captains.<br /><br />All three Canadian Olympic goalies are from Quebec and include Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Martin Brodeur. At almost 38 years of age, Brodeur is the oldest member of the Canadian Olympic hockey team. The balance of the team includes defencemen Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, Brent Seabrook, Drew Doughty, Dan Boyle and forwards Brenden Morrow, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Jonathan Toews, Michael Richards, Joe Thornton, Eric Staal, Corey Perry, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, and Rick Nash. At just 20 years old Doughty is the youngest member of the squad.<br /><br />It is thought that <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-get-tickets-to-vancouver.html">tickets to the Olympics</a>, particularly the Canadian men's hockey games will be particularly hard to get.<br /><br />The <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/vancouver-olympic-hockey-schedule.html">Olympic hockey schedule</a> has been announced and Canada will first play Norway on February 16th. All of Canada has high hopes that the Canadian Mens Olympic hockey team can take the gold medal. The 2010 Canadian Olympic hockey team has a great deal of talent and is thought to be a serious medal contender.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-66820730390191974252009-12-30T08:14:00.000-08:002010-02-12T17:15:45.217-08:00Lindsey Vonn, Injured 6 Weeks Before Vancouver Olympics<a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com">Vancouver 2010 Olympic</a> ski favorite <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/lindsey-vonn-girl-to-beat.html">Lindsey Vonn</a> bruised a bone in her left arm following a crash on the opening run of a World Cup giant slalom on December 28, 2009.<br /><br />Vonn had X-ray and MRI scans at a hospital before returning to the U.S. team hotel with her arm in a splint. According to U.S. team medical director the scans showed no fractures, only a bone bruise and lots of tissue swelling. "It's not a classic broken wrist, but a swelling," said the doctor. The doctor added Vonn might be able to race in Tuesday's slalom (December 29). "She's got a lot of pain now, but if she feels well she could start."<br /><br />Vonn started 15th and made a couple of mistakes in the early part of her run, falling more than a second behind the leading time set by Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany. After a sharp left turn, the American lost her balance on a bump and fell backward, hitting a gate and losing a ski.<br /><br />The two-time World Cup overall champion remained on the ground for a good 8-10 minutes while receiving first aid. Lindsay Vonn eventually stood up, put her skis back on and made it to the bottom of the hill with her left arm in a sling.<br /><br />U.S. women's speed coach Alex Hoedlmoser was not present for the crash but was with Vonn for training the past two days. With the Vancouver 2010 Olympics just around the corner, Hoedlmoser suggested it might be a good idea to skip the slalom. "It definitely would make sense looking at the bigger picture for her to rest for a couple of days," he said. "But I know Lindsey, and I know she wants to race. It all depends on how painful it is."<br /><br />Vonn was coming off a successful weekend in Val D'Isere, France. She had a victory in the super combined and a third-place finish in a super-G. These finishes helped her reclaim the top of the leader board for the overall World Cup standings ahead of rival Maria Riesch of Germany. Vonn is beating Riesch by 50 points.<br /><br />Vonn has been known to compete with injuries. She skied the final part of last season despite a right thumb injury she sustained at the world championships in February. She needed surgery after cutting a tendon on a broken champagne bottle and raced the rest of the season with her pole taped to her glove.<br /><br />Vonn is considered a strong medal contender in all five Alpine events during the Olympics: downhill, super-G, slalom, GS and super combined (one downhill run and one slalom run). If she cannot ski in Vancouver, it will be the latest in a string of Olympic disappointments for Vonn. She finished with an uninspired sixth and 22nd in Salt Lake City in 2002, when she was only 17-years old, and was seventh, eighth and 14th at the Turin Olympics<br /><br />Vonn's appearance in Vancouver is also important to many Olympic sponsors.These sponsors have been building huge TV and Web commercials around her in the run-up to the Vancouver Olympic Games. Television network NBC has been giving fans a chance to design artwork for her racing helmet.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-62730818207854147762009-12-30T07:40:00.000-08:002009-12-30T10:54:40.765-08:00Slovakia Mens Olympic Hockey Team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblSd6SK5m7r0i2A-1E5g4Q1K6OINnHrb2fRYhDXIeCD_3ATcWzAks5eB8Hpc11yIqfahNi-PgBLE3bH1susm-HX3y9J8uFa5k0b2iLynJa1RQspaoZ9j0ap3_jOsID1fbGHsmrSPTjkI5/s1600-h/Gaborik.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblSd6SK5m7r0i2A-1E5g4Q1K6OINnHrb2fRYhDXIeCD_3ATcWzAks5eB8Hpc11yIqfahNi-PgBLE3bH1susm-HX3y9J8uFa5k0b2iLynJa1RQspaoZ9j0ap3_jOsID1fbGHsmrSPTjkI5/s320/Gaborik.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421057815470029842" /></a><br />Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa will lead Slovakia at the Vancouver Olympic Hockey Tournament commencing in February 2010. Former Washingston Capitals star, Peter Bondra is the general manager for the Slovakia hockey teams and he made the the team roster announcement. Bondra can make changes to the roster up until February 14, 2010.<br /><br />Hossa is one of 12 NHL players on the 23-player roster announced December 29, 2009. The other big guns on the team include Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara and New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik (picture right). Gaborik is tied for top goal scorer in the NHL so far this season with 26 on the season. <br /><br />Former Buffalo Sabres star Miroslav Satan will make his fourth Olympic appearance which is impressive by any standard.<br /><br />The other NHL players are goalies Peter Budaj of Colorado and Jaroslav Halak of Montreal; defencemen Milan Jurcina of Columbus, Andrej Meszaros of Tampa Bay, Andrej Sekera of Buffalo and Lubomir Visnovsky of Edmonton; and forwards Pavol Demitra of Vancouver, Michal Handzus of Los Angeles and Tomas Kopecky of Chicago. Of these players Demitra, Meszaros, Budaj, and Jurcina all played on the Slovakia Olympic hockey team at the Turin Olympics.<br /><br />Slovakia finished fifth at the 2006 Turin Games are not considered to be strong contenders in this Olympic Hockey tournament. There first game will be against the Czech Republic on February 17, 2010.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-64974861044293510102009-12-05T16:47:00.000-08:002010-02-13T12:38:43.895-08:00Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team and Schedule of the Vancouver Olympics Mens Hockey Tournament<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6djKneN1_Iyq88J7raKzohiSHhRD0YPLh2_KpjSXZP8gpcBr7-fyRI1FLdNl5TjVOB1iQL46Cwm-OcD03or3-7oID_YRMzeTNlzaySAKkT1C415q28KUL81xVFa4itKr3kvfzrCD3sjF2/s1600-h/canadian+olympic+hockey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6djKneN1_Iyq88J7raKzohiSHhRD0YPLh2_KpjSXZP8gpcBr7-fyRI1FLdNl5TjVOB1iQL46Cwm-OcD03or3-7oID_YRMzeTNlzaySAKkT1C415q28KUL81xVFa4itKr3kvfzrCD3sjF2/s320/canadian+olympic+hockey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411933594148751106" border="0" /></a><br />The Canadian Mens Olympic Hockey team will be going for gold at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">Vancouver Olympics</a> Games. The depth of talent on this team is simply unrivaled at this point. That said, nothing is certain until the final game.<br /><br />The official roster for the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/canadian-mens-olympic-hockey-team.html">Canadian Olympic hockey team</a> has not been chosen yet and it does not look like it will be an easy decision. The Canadian Olympic hockey management team led by Steve Yzerman will have their work cut out for them in trying to decide who to keep and who to cut. The balance of the management team includes the Red Wing's GM Ken Holland, Doug Armstrong of the Blues, Kevin Lowe of the Oilers and Hockey Canada VP Johnny Misley.<br /><br />There will be twelve countries in the Vancouver Olympic hockey tournament. Of the 12 countries, the favorites will likely be Finland, Russia, USA, Canada, and Sweden. The draws have been completed and the groups in the preliminary round will look like this:<br />Group A: Canada, USA, Switzerland, Norway<br />Group B: Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia<br />Group C: Sweden, Finland, Belarus, Germany<br />At first glance it looks like the draw works out the best for the Russian hockey team.<br /><br />The Olympic hockey tournament will start on Tuesday February 16th, with an 18-game preliminary round. At the end of the preliminary round all 12 teams will be ranked in a joint ranking "D". This ranking will be used for seeding the teams in the qualification playoff games. The top four ranked teams (1D, 2D,3D, and 4D) will be given byes into the quarter-final rounds. These top four will also be deemed to be the home team for their quarter-final match.<br /><br />The qualification playoff (QP)games will be played with the following match-ups (Group E):<br /><br />5D - 12D (Winner will become E1)<br />6D - 11D (Winner will become E2)<br />7D - 10D (Winner will become E3)<br />8D - 9D (Winner will become E4)<br /><br /><br />The four winning teams of the QP games will advance to the Quarter-final round to meet the top four teams of the preliminary round. The Quarter-final games will be played with the following match-ups (Group F):<br /><br />1D - E4 (Winner will become F1)<br />2D - E3 (Winner will become F2)<br />3D - E2 (Winner will become F3)<br />4D - E1 (Winner will become F4)<br /><br />The Semi-Final games will be played with the following match-ups. The home team will be the higher ranked team as determined at the completion of the Preliminary Round (Group D):<br /><br />F1 - F4<br />F2 - F3<br /><br />The gold medal match will be held on February 28th at 12:15 pm.<br /><br />This is bound to be a great Olympic Hockey tournament with Sunday, February 21st seeing 4 of the top 5 teams match up against each other.<br /><br />Canada is a great hockey country and will be hosting a highly competitive Olympic hockey tournament.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-48387058328800068152009-12-05T09:51:00.000-08:002009-12-30T08:19:00.107-08:00Lindsey Vonn: The Girl to Beat at the Vancouver Games<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNCPM_QqmVYHgIFy0orexcoPwfz0M3ixSepN97FnbRjdTIrExfc8z6Asg7251EkN52dJaQzvgGPg6s7ZITA8vdHNEkYzDUh4ALSP4F716D0vS8FAqAxExiZNI_f0gMFkz-4f8bD2v_2T8/s1600-h/LindseyVonn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNCPM_QqmVYHgIFy0orexcoPwfz0M3ixSepN97FnbRjdTIrExfc8z6Asg7251EkN52dJaQzvgGPg6s7ZITA8vdHNEkYzDUh4ALSP4F716D0vS8FAqAxExiZNI_f0gMFkz-4f8bD2v_2T8/s320/LindseyVonn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411815025176959938" border="0" /></a><br />It is expected that the world will see a lot of <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/lindsay-vonn-injured-6-weeks-before.html">Lindsey Vonn</a> at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com">Vancouver Games</a>. She has been a World Cup skier for a long time and has recently (during the 2009 season) she secured the status of the winningest American skier of in American history.<br /><br />Born October 18, 1984, Vonn skies for the American Olympic ski team. In the 2009 Alpine racing season end Lindsey Vonn had been crowned Super G, Downhill and Overall FIS World Cup Champion. This year she has been on fire. It will be an incredible upset if she is not at the top of the podium a number of times at the Vancouver Games. Everything she has done so far seems to be targeting the Vancouver Olympics.<br /><br />Lindsey was also the Overall and Downhill FIS World Cup champion for 2008. At the the 2009 World Championships, Lindsey finished 1st in Downhill and 1st in Super G, DNF in Slalom and DSQ in Super Combined. In 2007 Lindsey was 2nd in Downhill and 2nd in Super G, DNS in Slalom and DSQ in Super Combined. In 2005 she finished in 4th in Downhill, 4th in Combined, 9th in Super G and DNF in Giant Slalom. <br /><br />The Vancouver Games in 2010 will be Lindsey Vonn's third Olympic Games. In the 2006 Olympics, Vonn was 7th in Super G, 8th in Downhill and in 2002 at Salt Lake City, she finished 6th in the Combined.<br /><br />All eyes will be on American skier, Lindsey Vonn, at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">2010 Vancouver Olympic Games</a>.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-22422939927505190062009-12-03T17:34:00.000-08:002009-12-03T17:48:38.502-08:00Figure Skating at the Vancouver 2010 GamesThe Pacific Coliseum will host the figure skating and short track speed skating events at the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/hockey-venue-for-vancouver-2010.html">Vancouver Olympics 2010</a>. The venue is located 6.2 kilometres from the athletes village at an elevation of 26 metres. It has a capacity of slightly over 14,000. This arena is currently the home of Canada's Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants and is the former home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. The Pacific Coliseum was also host to the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2006 and game four of the famed 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. <div class="Text"><p>For <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">Vancouver Games 2010</a>, the ice will be enlarged to an Olympic size ice surface to accommodate both the figure skating and short track speed skating events. Renos have included the replacement of 16,000 seats. Future renovations are supposed to include upgrades to the washroom facilities, concession areas, and to the building heating/ventilation systems.</p><p>Following the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games Games, the arena will continue to host events as well as serve as the home arena for the WHL's Vancouver Giants hockey team. </p></div>mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-39737795506496438732009-12-03T17:11:00.000-08:002009-12-03T17:50:27.363-08:00Hockey Venue for Vancouver 2010Located between 2-4 kilometers from the athletes village, the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">2010 Olympic Winter Games</a> hockey tournaments will take place in two venues -- Canada Hockey Place and the UBC Thunderbird Arena. Both venues existed prior to Vancouver being awarded the 2010 Games.<br /><br />Canada Hockey Place, known locally as General Motors Place, will be the primary Olympic hockey arena at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The arena was completed in 1995 and privately financed to be the home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. The arena has 88 luxury suites, 12 hospitality suites and 2195 club seats. It has a total capacity of slightly more than 18,800. In 2006, Canada Hockey Place was given a freshen up. An LED ribbon board and a state of the art high-definition scoreboard hanging over centre ice were installed.<br /><br />When the city first won the right to host the 2010 Olympics, the plan was to renovate Canada Hockey Place to accommodate an international-sized ice surface. This renovation would have resulted in the removal of seats in the arena. In 2006, VANOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced they had canceled the ice reno plans and, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">Vancouver Olympics 2010</a> hockey tournament would be played on NHL-sized ice. The new plan saved VANOC $10 million in renovations and will allow 35,000 more spectators into Canada Hockey Place over the duration of the Olympic Games. Oddly enough, additional locker rooms will be built as part of the scaled down renos. You have to wonder how many dressing rooms are needed as it is very likely that 6-8 already existed.<br /><br /><a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/figure-skating-at-vancouver-2010-games.html">Olympic Figure Skating</a> will take place at another venue.<br /><br />General Motors Place has played host to many international hockey tournaments before including the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-86498044932553517772009-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:002009-12-03T18:18:24.113-08:00Vancouver Olympics 2010The City of Vancouver's bid to host the <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/">2010 Winter Olympics</a> began in 1998. It was at this point that the Canadian Olympic Association held two rounds of bidding to narrow down the Canadian options. Other contenders included Quebec City (Quebec lost a bid three years earlier to host the 2002 Olympics) and Calgary (Calgary had previously hosted the 1988 Winter Games)<br /><br />On the first round of voting , Vancouver-Whistler had 26 votes, Quebec City with 25 and Calgary 21. The second and final round of voting included only the top two cities. Vancouver won with 40 votes compared to Quebec City's 32. This win allowed Vancouver to kick its bid into high gear and begin intense lobbying efforts around the world.<br /><br />Historically, the choosing of Olympic Games venue was rife with allegations of corruption and vote buying. The bidding process had a lack of oversight and transparency. It was thought that countries with little interest in the Winter Olympics were being influenced. There was a tremendous bid bribing scandal that occurred with the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City (which resulted in Quebec City asking for 8 million in compensation for their failed 2002 bid). The International Olympic Committee was embarrassed and therefore created the Evaluation Commission in 2002. The changes brought forth by the IOC tightened the bidding rules and attempted to focus on the more technical aspects of each candidate city. The Evaluation Commission analyzed each candidate city and provided its input back to the IOC.<br /><br />In July 2003, the IOC awarded Vancouver the right to host the Olympics. In being awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver faced two other finalists: PyeongChang, South Korea, and Salzburg, Austria. Pyeongchang had the most votes of the three finalists in the first round of voting and Salzburg was eliminated. In the run-off, almost everyone who had voted for Salzburg now voted for Vancouver. It was a very close vote.<br /><br />The <a href="http://vancouver--olympics.blogspot.com/2009/12/figure-skating-at-vancouver-2010-games.html">Vancouver Olympics 2010</a> will start on February 12, 2010 with ski jumping.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823702220671635397.post-62791033184330293612009-10-01T17:52:00.000-07:002010-02-14T08:02:00.067-08:00Privacy Policy<span style="font-weight: bold;">Your Privacy</span><br />Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. 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This information is purely used to analyze trends, administer the site, track users movement and gather broad demographic information for internal use. Most importantly, any recorded IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links to third party Websites</span><br />We have included links on this site for your use and reference. We are not responsible for the privacy policies on these websites. You should be aware that the privacy policies of these sites may differ from our own.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Changes to this Privacy Statement</span><br />The contents of this statement may be altered at any time, at my discretion.<br /><br />If you have any questions regarding the privacy policy of Vancouver Olympics (blog) then you may contact me by leaving a comment on this blog.mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368718752341556884noreply@blogger.com