2010 Winter- All the news about the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver BC

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today released its second corporate Sustainability Report, re-affirming its commitment to deliver a socially, economically and environmentally responsible Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The report covers the 12-month period between August 1, 2006 and July 31, 2007, and can be viewed at www.vancouver2010.com.

Based on Vancouver 2010 Bid commitments and sustainability reporting guidelines established by the internationally recognized Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the report tracks VANOC?s performance to date on its sustainability objectives. It also discusses the Organizing Committee?s challenges and future plans on sustainability issues within its decision-making authority.

?Sustainability touches everything at VANOC,? said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. ?It is a consideration in all our planning and daily activities. With just under two years remaining until the 2010 Winter Games, this report details the steps we are taking to live up to our commitment to convene sustainable Games and to produce enduring benefits locally and globally.?

VANOC?s 2006-07 Sustainability Report takes a comprehensive look at outcomes in six performance areas under VANOC?s direct control: accountability; environmental stewardship and impact reduction; social inclusion and responsibility; Aboriginal participation and collaboration; economic benefits; and sport for sustainable living.

This is the second of five sustainability reports that VANOC intends to issue during the course of the project. It reflects input from the general public, VANOC?s own workforce, and representatives from inner-city, environmental, sustainability, persons with a disability, labour and human rights organizations. While developing the report, VANOC also consulted with its government partners, corporate sponsors and a special multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee it has established to advise its Board of Directors on sustainability performance issues.

?Our team underwent extensive consultation with close to 100 individuals from 40 different organizations about what should be in this report,? said Ann Duffy, VANOC?s corporate sustainability officer. ?The feedback and collaboration we received helped guide content as well as selection of the 31 key performance measures used in our second report.?

Two versions of the Sustainability Report are available this year; a shorter ?snapshot? version for readers interested in a summary, and a longer, more technical version for those who want more detail. Both versions are available in French and English on the VANOC website.

Areas indicating progress by the Organizing Committee in the 2006-07 report include:

• building venues on compact sites that minimize waste from construction
• building venues that:
• conserve water and energy
• reduce greenhouse gas/carbon emissions
• provide barrier-free accessibility
• compliance with environmental regulations
• training opportunities for inner-city youth
• support for housing legacies
• ethical sourcing and sustainable purchasing
• economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples
• raising awareness about sport among Aboriginal communities
• raising awareness about Paralympic sports locally
• workforce safety

Sustainability performance areas VANOC says it is aiming to improve and/or focus on during the next 12 months include:

• transportation planning
• avoiding disruption or displacement in inner-city communities during Games-time
• additional reductions in carbon emissions and development of a program for neutralizing or offsetting the carbon footprint of the Games
• food and beverage services
• diverting further waste from landfill
• training, recruitment and business opportunities for inner-city residents and businesses, Aboriginal communities, persons with a disability, and social and environmental enterprises
• public participation opportunities that increase awareness of sustainable living choices

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has selected Deloitte as its Official Supplier of professional services. Deloitte will support VANOC as preparations for the Games increase by providing the Organizing Committee with a wide range of professional services including financial, accounting, strategy, operations and human resources consulting.

As an Official Supplier, Deloitte will receive the opportunity to use Vancouver 2010 marks for promotional purposes and sponsorship rights to the Canadian Olympic Team for the Vancouver 2010 and the London 2012 Games.

“The Olympic Games are the standard of excellence in athletics and the celebration of the human spirit. At Deloitte our vision is to be the standard of excellence,” said Alan MacGibbon, Managing Partner and Chief Executive for Deloitte Canada. “We are excited about being able to serve the diverse professional services needs of VANOC and to help Canada welcome the world to Vancouver in 2010.”

“With a strong 150-year Canadian history and a reputation for integrity, quality and service excellence, Deloitte’s ability to provide innovative ideas and solutions makes them a welcome addition to the Vancouver 2010 team,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted to have them on board.”

Deloitte professionals will begin working with VANOC immediately with some professionals dedicated full time to VANOC and others providing their specialized expertise at various stages through the end of the Games.

ABOUT DELOITTE

Deloitte, one of Canada’s leading professional services firms, provides tax, audit, consulting, and financial advisory services through more than 7,600 people in 56 offices. Deloitte operates in Québec as Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche s.e.n.c.r.l. The firm is dedicated to helping clients and its people excel. Deloitte is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firms.

VANCOUVER – With only 16 days remaining until Phase 1 of ticket sales to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games begins on October 3 — one of the biggest milestones and public engagement activities prior to the Games — the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) held its fifth meeting of 2008.

At today’s meeting the Board reviewed a number of positive updates on the venue construction program which will see all competition venues completed and winter athletes competing at world- class levels on all venues this winter. The meeting also included a number of regular agenda items as well as updates to the Board of Directors on the business plan, sport, sponsorship, ticket sales, the launch of a new graphic identity and pictograms and the re-launch of www.vancouver2010.com, the Official Website of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“The pace for VANOC’s management and staff has already accelerated after the conclusion of a highly successful Beijing 2008 Games and the Board today received a number of updates that provide confidence we’re on track financially and ready for the pressure and spotlight that comes with hosting the next Games,” said Jack Poole, Chairman of the Board. “Final touches on venue construction are underway and athletes are already here training and getting ready to compete. With the first of this winter season’s 16 sport events starting next month and tickets on sale in a matter of weeks, Canadians and sport enthusiasts around the world will be able to touch and feel the Games more and more each day.”

Highlights of reports and updates delivered at the September 17, 2008 VANOC Board Meeting included:

CEO and Senior Management Reports

Beijing 2008

The Beijing 2008 Games provided VANOC with a number of learning opportunities in key areas, including ticketing, volunteers, the spectator experience, village operations, sport production and decision making when confronted with the unexpected.

Budget Update/Functional Reviews

An update was provided on the business plan and ongoing measures being taken by VANOC management to review key functional areas to ensure a balanced budget. Reviews of VANOC’s 53 functions are now complete. VANOC’s updated budget is being developed this year and will be taken to the Board for approval in late 2008/early 2009.

Sport

The Sport department is preparing for the first of 16 sport events this winter season; short track speed skating at the Pacific Coliseum from October 24–26. Sport has welcomed nine National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to Vancouver since May and is planning for 11 additional NOC visits and six NPC visits in the coming weeks and months. In addition, VANOC has recently hosted biathlon, cross-country skiing and luge delegations and is preparing for upcoming visits from bobsleigh, skeleton, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, curling, short track speed skating, ski jumping, luge, biathlon, cross-county skiing, cross-country skiing (Paralympic), biathlon (Paralympic), alpine skiing (Paralympic) and wheelchair curling delegations.

Sponsorship

Revenue commitments currently generated from domestic sponsorship for the 2010 Winter Games is at $735 million, or 97 per cent of VANOC’s overall target of $760 million. National Partner and Official Supporter revenue targets have been achieved, but VANOC expects to sign anywhere from six to eight new sponsors at the Official Supplier level.

Report of the Finance Committee

The Board received reports from two meetings of the Finance Committee, held on August 11 and September 8, 2008. A number of contracts were approved for final negotiation; VANOC will disclose information regarding contracts once the contracts are finalized.

The Finance Committee approved a contract with Aggreko Canada for the provision of temporary power and temperature control services and equipment.

Venue Construction Update

Procurement: Only minor awards are outstanding. Procurement for Vancouver 2010 construction is over 93 per cent complete.

Venue contingency analysis: The venues central contingency balance, as of the last report, was $15.77 million. A drawdown of $2 million was approved by the VANOC Board today to cover additional costs at the Whistler Athletes’ Centre that will bring the balance of the venue contingency to $13.77 million. VANOC remains on track to finish its venue construction program on or under its $580 million budget.

Richmond Olympic Oval: Construction is on track to be completed on schedule. Work on removing and replacing roofing material is nearing completion. Installation of a test ice sheet was successfully completed at the beginning of August. A new ice sheet was installed at the beginning of September. Members of the Canadian speed skating team were the first athletes in the world to have access to the Oval and have successfully tested the ice over the past few days.

Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre: Construction is on schedule. The final sand and insulating layers for the curling venue’s competition ice slab are complete. Work on the building’s envelope continues and interior finishes are proceeding. Drywall in the curling venue is 80 per cent complete.

Trout Lake training venue: The concrete building structure and main structural steel and glulam erection are complete. Roof decking is underway. Mechanical and electrical work is ongoing.

Killarney training venue: Concrete tilt-up wall panels and main structural steel have been erected. Arena roof metal decking is one-third complete and roof decking for the lobby is nearly complete. The Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver: Significant progress has been made on all building structures. The bridge and related approach (to access the site) are substantially complete.

Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler: The Whistler Village townhomes are nearing completion. The bridge and related approaches (to access the site) are substantially complete. Whistler Athletes’ Centre: The steel roof erection is complete on the High Performance Centre. Construction of the lodge building and townhomes is ongoing. Factory fabrication is complete on townhomes, and site installation is ongoing.  

Report of the Strategic Communications Steering Committee

The Chair reported on the last meeting of the Strategic Communications Steering Committee, held on September 12, 2008. Solid progress is being made on key projects, including VANOC’s thematic and ticketing advertising campaigns, which begin, respectively, at the end of September and the beginning of October.

BACKGROUND:

The VANOC Board of Directors is made up of 20 members nominated by: the Canadian Olympic Committee (seven); the Government of Canada (three); the Province of British Columbia (three); the City of Vancouver (two); the Resort Municipality of Whistler (two); the Canadian Paralympic Committee (one); a joint appointment by the Band Councils of the Lil'wat and Squamish Nations (one); and one member nominated by the other 19 members.

The Board is scheduled to meet six times per year, and more often at the call of the Chair as required. The meetings are generally held at the Vancouver 2010 offices in Vancouver, although they are occasionally hosted by our Games partners in other locations. The Board’s responsibility is to oversee the conduct of the business of VANOC as it works toward achieving its Mission, to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.

As part of its commitment to public transparency and accountability, the VANOC Board of Directors has made today’s agenda, discussion topics and decisions available to the public on www.vancouver2010.com, subject to conditions of confidentiality related to personal information and/or competitively sensitive or privileged information. VANOC is also committed to hosting media briefings following each Board meeting with the Board Chairman, the CEO and other director(s) or members of the VANOC senior management team to elaborate further on matters.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the VANOC Board of Directors is scheduled for November 19, 2008.

With the recent completion of the incredibly successful Beijing Olympic Games, the start of Canada’s Games in Vancouver and Whistler — and the worldwide attention that comes with it — grows closer every day. Now with nine Worldwide Partners, six National Partners, 10 Official Supporters and 28 Official Suppliers, Vancouver 2010 has become a popular organization to associate with.

“We’ve had overwhelming support from Canadian companies since we were awarded the right to host the 2010 Winter Games,” said Dave Cobb, VANOC executive vice president, revenue, marketing and communications. “The momentum created by the Beijing Games and the unique marketing and hospitality opportunities enjoyed by sponsors has brought a strong interest from companies asking about remaining sponsorship opportunities. This is proof of the ripple effect that one Games can create for another.”

By the numbers

Revenue currently generated from domestic sponsorship for the 2010 Winter Games is at $735 million or 97 per cent of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC’s) overall target of $760 million. National Partner and Official Supporter revenue targets have been achieved, but VANOC expects to sign another six to eight Official Suppliers. When combined with an estimated $200 million to be received from international worldwide sponsorship, VANOC’s total sponsorship commitment will be just under the $1 billion mark — an unprecedented sum in the history of Canadian sports marketing.

New horizons

“Our goal has always been to raise enough money from the private sector to ensure we have a financial surplus at the end of the Games,” Cobb continued. “As such, our team has worked hard to identify and implement other revenue generating programs.”

VANOC’s newer revenue programs — while they do not include marketing rights provided by the corporate sponsorship program — will supply important funding to stage the Games and support the athletes in return for certain rights and benefits. The programs were also developed in response to requests from parties wanting to support the Games, but without the need for marketing rights or the ability to participate as a sponsor. Four examples of these programs are as follows:

Launch of the RONA and VANOC Fabrication Shop in November 2007. (VANOC photo)Friends of the Games is one of the newest additions to VANOC’s revenue programs, which will be primarily used to reduce the cost of VANOC’s goods and services during the procurement process. The donor-based program offers businesses an opportunity to provide required products and/or services to help stage the Games in exchange for a range of benefits, such as networking and hospitality opportunities, and access to purchase a small number of Olympic Family tickets.

The Vancouver 2010 Club is a patron’s program, similar to the donor program developed for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games. This new program offers individuals and corporations an opportunity to make a direct contribution towards VANOC’s mission to deliver an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience, with lasting legacies. Part of each financial contribution will be allocated to VANOC’s Charitable Ticketing Fund, which will provide tickets to various underprivileged groups in the Greater Vancouver area and Sea to Sky corridor. In return, Vancouver 2010 Club patrons will receive access to transportation, limited hospitality and a select number of tickets from the Olympic Family allocation.

VANOC has also demonstrated continued success with its Contributing Province/Territory Program and has raised a total of $13.2 million to date supporting operational costs and the Own the Podium (OTP) program.

Lastly, online auctions have been identified as an additional revenue stream for Vancouver 2010. As with past Games, VANOC will implement a substantial auction process to sell collectibles and memorabilia, such as limited edition sports items, leading up to the 2010 Winter Games and beyond.

“Opportunities to purchase these kinds of products will create a once-in-a-lifetime connection to the Games and will no doubt attract sports collectors and enthusiasts from around the world,” said Caley Denton, VANOC vice president, ticketing and consumer marketing.

Companies and/or individuals interested in revenue programs with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games may contact sponsorship@vancouver2010.com.

VANCOUVER – Aboriginal and other leaders from across Canada joined the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) in downtown Vancouver today to unveil plans for the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion.

“Today we salute the vision, the coming together and the outreach of our four Chiefs and our four communities,” said Tewanee Joseph, CEO of the Four Host First Nations. “We’d especially like to recognize the strong support we’ve received from VANOC, our federal, provincial and city government partners and the leaders of the Aboriginal communities of Canada.”

Centered on a 65-foot high inflated multi-media sphere, the pavilion will use the latest technology to showcase the diversity of Aboriginal art, business, culture and sport from across Canada. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal visitors will enjoy this experience in the relaxed, informal setting of the Pavilion.

“This pavilion will be a place of pride for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians, a place to come together to celebrate our rich history and culture during the 2010 Games,” said Premier Gordon Campbell. “The traditional territories of our First Nations partners hold many wonderful stories, and we expect to experience many of them at this unique 2010 Aboriginal gathering place.”

“These are indeed ‘Canada’s Games’ made all the more so by the full participation of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada,” said Senator Gerry St. Germain. “For this reason, the federal government is pleased to be a partner with the Four Host First Nations Society and with VANOC, as the economic benefits of the Games will extend far beyond these traditional territories to the benefit of all Canadians.”

Special “theme” days will showcase Aboriginal groups from all regions of Canada. Live events will include Inuit throat singing, Métis jigging, hoop dancing, as well as spotlighting contemporary Aboriginal performances and other fields of achievement.

The event hosts are the FHFN Chiefs: Leonard Andrew, Lil'wat Nation; Ernest Campbell, Musqueam Nation; Bill Williams, Squamish Nation; and Leah George-Wilson, Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Other speakers on stage include Premier Campbell; Senator St. Germain, representing the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Secretary of State for Sport; National Chief Phil Fontaine, Assembly of First Nations (AFN); Mary Simon, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK); Clément Chartier, President, Métis National Council (MNC); Mayor Gregor Robertson, Vancouver; John Furlong, CEO, VANOC; and Mr. Joseph.

Located on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver, within easy walking distance of BC Place and GM Place, the 8,000 square-foot 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion will be right in the heart of Olympic activity, with Vancouver’s Celebration Site located immediately across Cambie Street.

“This plaza is in the heart of our city’s cultural district, and I am so proud that we’ve been able to provide space for the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion at the QE Plaza,” said Mayor Robertson. “The Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh have been part of these lands long before we became a city, and I’m so pleased that together we will celebrate Aboriginal contributions here during 2010.”

VANOC CEO John Furlong said “The 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion is a true celebration of the partnerships that have been brought together in the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Our host First Nations partners have reached out to the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada to join them in showcasing the best of themselves to the world through the Pavilion, demonstrating that these indeed are Canada’s Games.”

In keeping with the Salish traditions, honoured guests were called upon to officially witness the event, including Squamish hereditary Chief Gibby Jacob, VANOC Board of Directors; Grand Chief Edward John, First Nations Summit; Grand Chief Matthew Mukash, Grand Council of the Cree; Grand Chief Andy Carvill, Council of Yukon First Nations; President Bruce Dumont, Métis Nation British Columbia; Kevin Mckay, Executive Chair, Nisga'a Lisims Government. FHFN partners from other regions of the country were not able to attend but conveyed their support.

The $3.5-million construction project, supported by VANOC and the FHFN, features a high-tech 3,000 square-foot sphere, surrounded by a Coast Salish Longhouse. The Longhouse, which features a 1,500 square-foot Trading Post, will be relocated after the Games as a permanent legacy. As well, the adjacent 2,000 square-foot QE restaurant will be converted into a Reception Hall, featuring Aboriginal exhibitry and cuisine.

“The 2010 Winter Games represent a turning point in our history,” said National Chief Fontaine. “For the first time in Olympic history, Indigenous Peoples are full partners in hosting these Winter Games and we will work closely with the four Host Nations to ensure there are lasting legacies for our people.”

“The Inuit of Canada are proud participants in 2010, and proud partners of the FHFN,” said ITK President Mary Simon. “We are keen collaborators in sharing the story of Aboriginal Peoples from across Canada with a world audience. It is with pride that Inuit stand with the FHFN in sharing the story of our culture, showing the world the people behind the Inukshuk.”

“Citizens of the Métis Nation are extremely proud of our culture, our heritage and the unique role we have played in building Canada,” said MNC President Clément Chartier. “During the Games, we invite the world to share in our arts and our culture at the pavilion stage, and to experience that pride first hand.”

“This Pavilion will be the Aboriginal gathering place at the biggest potlatch the world has ever seen –the 2010 Games – hosted here within our shared traditional territories,” said Squamish Chief Williams, Chair of the FHFN Board of Directors. “We’re welcoming the world, and this pavilion will be the place to experience the best in Aboriginal culture, business and achievement.”

“Most of Canada’s history has been written in hundreds of years,” said Lil’wat Chief Andrew. “Our peoples have shared these lands for thousands. We look forward to welcoming the world here for an authentic Aboriginal experience in 2010.”

“The people we see gathered here today in support of the FHFN Pavilion shows what can happen when we treat each other with mutual respect,” said Musqueam Chief Campbell. “We are proud partners in these Games, and appreciate that our First Nation, Inuit and Métis friends stand with us here today and will be a welcome part of this Pavilion.”

“This pavilion is our Longhouse. This is where we will welcome friends, family and visitors,” said Tsleil-Waututh Chief George-Wilson. “The Olympic focus on youth and on sport, combined with the experiences this pavilion will offer, will become a very positive story to be told and celebrated by many generations to come.”

The pavilion will open in February 2010 and run throughout the Winter Olympic Games.

As a celebration of the world?s biggest potlatch, a group of up-and-coming young Aboriginal leaders from across Canada have gathered in British Columbia?s Sea-to-Sky region to take part in the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering. The event brings together more than 300 First Nations, Inuit and Métis young people aged 19 to 29, and will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in Vancouver for the Games and to showcase their culture and region through a range of activities and special events.

Meet Sports Heroes

As part of the gathering, participants will tour Olympic venues, watch the world?s best athletes train and compete, and meet sports heroes, business leaders and Aboriginal elders in person. They will also take part in cultural performances at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion and in the Governor General?s 2010 Olympic Truce Youth Dialogue: Promoting Mutual Understanding, hosted by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on 11 February. The Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering is part of a larger ongoing programme to achieve unprecedented Aboriginal participation in the planning and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games by the Four Host First Nations and the Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), with the support of many partners.

Pillars of the Olympic Movement

The programming for the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering, which runs until 14 February, is connected to the three pillars of the Olympic Movement: sport, culture, and environment, as well as the objectives of the Olympic Truce: youth, action, legacy, awareness, and peace. The participants stay in accommodation sites located in the pristine and breathtaking Paradise Valley of Squamish in the Sea-to-Sky region. The sites offer educational programmes on forestry and wildlife, salmon habitats, a bald eagle sanctuary, as well as traditional connections to the land.

With a week to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Olympic flame has entered Olympic country, as it reached theResort Municipality of Whistler. Whistler will host the alpine skiing, cross country, ski jumping, Nordic combined and biathlon competitions, and the sliding events of bobsleigh, skeleton and luge. The Olympic Torch Relay visited the Whistler Olympic Park, which will be hosting events for all of the Nordic disciplines and biathlon.

Crazy Canucks

Canada?s famous ?Crazy Canucks? were honoured during the Olympic Torch Relay in Whistler, when Olympian Steve Podborski carried the torch on a snowmobile and Julia Murray, daughter of Dave Murray and competitor in ski cross during the Vancouver Games, also carried the torch into town. Podborski won a bronze medal at the Lake Placid Games in 1980 and was the first North American to win the World Cup downhill season title. He is also Canada?s assistant Chef de Mission for the Vancouver Games. Dave Murray moved to Whistler, where he started a ski school, and the downhill course for men has been named in his honour. Murray died in 1990.

VANCOUVER 2010

Vancouver and Whistler will host the XXI Olympic Winter Games from 12 to 28 February 2010 and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12 to 21 March 2010. The seven winter Olympic sports that will be on show in Vancouver are luge, skiing, skating, ice hockey, biathlon, bobsleigh and curling.

Find out about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners.

Olympic Solidarity for Vancouver hopefuls

Japanese freestyle skier Miki Ito, 22, a fourth-year student at Chukyo University in Aichi Prefecture, will compete in the Vancouver Games. Four years ago in Turin she placed 20th, and in March 2009 she won the silver medal at the 2009 FIS World Freestyle Championships on her home soil in Fukushima.

Miki believes that, with the help of an Olympic Solidarity scholarship, she is in with a shout of winning the gold medal. It is thanks to Ito?s parents, both keen skiers, that she took up moguls skiing.

Go where the snow is

?I started freestyle skiing when I was nine years old,? says Miki and adds: ?My parents are both physical education teachers and really like skiing. They would drive from Shiga to Hakuba, so me and my two sisters could go skiing. My father really liked moguls, and this is how my older sister and I started doing little competitions just for fun.?

In Japan Miki usually trains in the ski areas of Fukushima or Hakuba, but also spends a lot of the year overseas: ?This sport needs snow, so we go where the snow is. In August, it was Australia; in October it?s Switzerland. My favourite place for training is Japan, probably Hakuba, as that?s where everything started for me,? says Miki.

A lifesaver

The Olympic Solidarity scholarship has enabled her to optimise the training: ?The scholarship is very important for me; it changed everything. I always wanted to get more training, to be more on the skis, but I thought it wasn?t possible from a financial perspective. After having obtained the Olympic Solidarity scholarship, things became much easier. This year is special because it?s an Olympic year, so I need as much money as possible for training. If I hadn?t got the scholarship, it would have been difficult to manage. The scholarship even helps in being able to see the right doctor when I need care. It?s been a lifesaver for me.?

Lovely Vancouver people

Vancouver is not a new ground for Miki: ?Last year we had a World Cup competition at the Olympic course in Whistler and I finished fourth. I like the city of Vancouver; it?s a very nice town. Normally, we just see snow and hotels. But Vancouver is different and the people are lovely.? For the Olympic Games, Miki aims high: ?I think I can win it; my skiing is getting better and better, and my body is getting more solid. So, yes, I can win gold.?

About Olympic Solidarity

Olympic Solidarity is an IOC organisation, and the body that ensures that athletes with talent, regardless of their financial status, have an equal chance of reaching the Olympic Games and succeeding in the Olympic arena. It is responsible for administering and managing the National Olympic Committees (NOCs)? share of the revenue from the sale of broadcasting rights to the Olympic Games. Working in particular with the most disadvantaged NOCs and their Continental Associations, Olympic Solidarity uses this money to develop a range of assistance programmes. Besides individual scholarships for athletes, there are also ?Team Support Grants? to support ice hockey and curling teams likely to qualify for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

The total budget for the 2009-2012 Olympic Solidarity quadrennial period amounts to USD 311 million. Within this budget, USD 61 million is earmarked to provide support to athletes.

Learn more about Olympic Solidarity

Learn more: 2009-2012 "Where the action is"  

More than 20 years ago, the International Olympic Committee set out to generate long-term, lasting support for the Olympic Movement, the Olympic Games and the Olympic athletes. In the early 1980s, the Olympic Movement was in a difficult position. Few countries could afford to host the greatest sporting event in the world, and many National Olympic Committees (NOCs) faced financial hardship in trying to support their nation?s Olympic teams and athletes. The financial support of our broadcast partners around the globe, as well as revenue from the IOC?s global sponsorship programme (known as the TOP Programme), has largely ensured that such difficulties are a thing of the past.

The Olympic broadcasters and the Worldwide Olympic Partners provide valuable financial resources to every NOC ? and every Olympic team ? in the world today. These contributions help the NOCs with their efforts to train and develop current and future Olympic athletes. In addition, many Partners develop strong relationships with individual Olympic athletes, finding innovative ways to support them in achieving their dreams at the Olympic Games.

Today there are 9 Worldwide Olympic Partners participating in this global sponsorship programme, providing significant help to make the Olympic dream possible. The Partners? products, services, technology, expertise and staff in Vancouver contribute to nearly every aspect of Olympic Games operations ? working to make the event possible, while also making the celebration more enjoyable for the athletes themselves.

Another major goal of the broadcasters and the Worldwide Olympic Partners is to enhance the Olympic Games experience for Olympic fans around the world. Through the latest broadcast technologies, including internet and mobile phones, as well as innovative marketing programmes, the world is invited to celebrate the Games and share in the achievements of the athletes.
 
With the Partners? support, more athletes from more countries are now able to compete in the Games. With the Partners? support, more people around the world are now able to witness the pinnacle of human achievement. With the Partners? support, the Olympic Games continue to thrive as the world?s greatest celebration of sport and culture.

Demonstrating creativity while executing precise jumps and movements, with a global audience and an eagle-eyed panel of nine judges watching, is the daunting task facing competitors in figure skating. But whether that prospect is more challenging than racing on an oval track on blade-thin, ankle-high skates in search of Olympic glory is a question to which speed skaters, both long and short track, could perhaps provide the answer.

Three events for figure skating

Olympic figure skating comprises three events: singles (men and women), pairs and ice dance. In singles, skaters must wow judges during both a short and free programme that are set to music, with a required sequence of steps, jumps, spins and combinations. A ?free skate? section allows skaters to demonstrate their creativity. The pairs competition comprises a male and a female skater and follows the same format. Overhead lifts and jumps are not included in ice dance, where the focus is on combining rhythm and interpreting music while executing a number of precise steps and moves. The ice dance competition is made up of three parts: one compulsory dance, an original dance and a free dance.

Racing around the oval

Speed skating is staged on a 400m oval, with six events each for men and women, ranging from the 500m to the 10,000 m (men) and the team pursuit. Skaters start in pairs and must change lanes once per lap to level out the distance covered. The Netherlands? Ireen Wust, already an Olympic speed skating champion and one of the top contenders for Vancouver, says: ?My favourite distance would definitely be the 1,500m, but my ambitions for Vancouver are a lot greater. Winning gold medals in the 1,000m, 1,500m, 3,000m as well as the women?s team pursuit is the ultimate goal!? But the Vancouver Games will also see the rise of new stars, such as 15-year-old Miho Takagi, the youngest female speed skater from Japan ever to make an Olympic squad.
 
The short track version, which sees four to six athletes compete, is staged on a 111.12m oval and comprises four events each for men and women, including a relay.

Stunning sporting legacy for the Richmond Oval

Figure skating and the short track events will be held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver which, post-Games, will serve as a venue for various events including ice shows, boxing, basketball, hockey, concerts, large assemblies, and trade and consumer shows.
The 8,000-capacity Richmond Olympic Oval is 14km south of downtown Vancouver and will host the speed skating events of longer distances. The town of Richmond will be a major beneficiary after the Games, when the Oval will be transformed into an international centre of excellence for sports, featuring two international sized ice rinks, eight gymnasiums, a 200m running track and 23,000 square foot fitness centre.

Learn more about skating
www.vancouver2010.com
www.isu.org