Vancouver 2010 venues taking shape
August 2nd, 2006 - Lot of construction is underway at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games sites in and around Whistler (CAN) where the Alpine and Nordic skiing as well as the Biathlon, Bobsleigh and Luge events will be staged. Many of the 2010 venues are scheduled to begin hosting athletes for training and test events two or more years prior to the Games. At the same time, an important goal for VANOC is to leave a legacy of sport and recreation in the area.
The Whistler Nordic Competition Venue is in especially active construction mode, while the site of the Alpine Skiing competitions - Whistler Creekside - is currently being upgraded.
Located in the scenic Callaghan Valley, 14 km from Whistler Village, the Nordic Competition Venue will host Cross-Country Skiing, Biathlon, Ski Jumping, and Nordic Combined events in 2010. After preparing the access road, creating some of the required temporary compounds and logging the jumping hill last year, the focus this summer has been on the Cross-Country and Biathlon competition trails, and on initial work on the stadiums and permanent buildings such as the day lodge. Construction has also begun on the ski jump structures, which should have their foundations completed by the end of the summer. Next year, the focus will be on finishing the in-run for the hill, the buildings, and all roads and bridges.
“Between the Biathlon and Cross-Country areas, about 15 km of competition trails will be prepared, of which about 5 km will be paved for roller skiing. Additionally, another 30 km of easier ‘touring' ski trails are being planned,” noted John Aalberg, VANOC Nordic Director. Following the Games, the Nordic venue will become a high-performance training center and offer excellent recreational opportunities.
“At Whistler Creekside, environmental approvals were received in June and the work started in July on course improvements to the downhill runs. Course contouring and shaping is currently taking place in five locations on the ski hill, and work is underway to upgrade the snowmaking infrastructure,” said Pete Bosinger, VANOC Alpine Manager.
“At Cypress Mountain located on the outskirts of the city of Vancouver, the to-be-Snowboard and Freestyle venue is also on schedule and the final grading should be completed soon. The venue is in the process of getting the snowmaking pipes ready to be installed and it will be seeded in August,” added Eric Fremont, VANOC Freestyle / Snowboard Manager.
More about Vancouver 2010: www.vancouver2010.com |
