Vancouver vies to be perfect Olympic venue (Feature)

By Andy Goldberg Jan 27, 2010, 5:04 GMT

Vancouver - With its mighty mountains overlooking a rugged Pacific coastline, Vancouver is not just one of the largest city ever to hold a Winter Olympics.

It may well be the most spectacular, hosting events in brand new venues overlooking the ocean and in the breathtaking mountains of the Whistler Olympic Park.

Through the 17 days of the Games, the bustling city and its environs will be seen by 3 billion global viewers. It will host 5,500 athletes and coaches from 80 different countries, 11,000 members of the media and an estimated 350,000 fans. And it's ready for its moment in the limelight.

Weeks before the February 12 opening ceremony, the city was already festooned with over 6,000 Olympic banners, while local television, radio and newspapers have been filled for months with Olympic chatter.

'(We're) moving very fast,' said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver Games organizing committee.

'There's a lot of positive anxiety inside the organization right now. We're very focused on what we have to do. We'll be ready.'

The only problem he noted was that wet weather was eroding the snow at low-lying Cypress Mountain, the site of the snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions.

Under Furlong, Vancouver has worked steadily at preparing for its big day since it won the Olympic bid in 2003. One of the biggest investments has been a 600-million-dollar upgrade to the Sea-to-Sky highway linking the city with the Whistler mountain area. Organizers spent a further 580 million dollars on venue construction.

The Richmond Olympic Oval will host the speed skating events and features a massive 2 hectare 'wood wave' roof built from local lumber damaged by pine beetle infestations.

The 5,600-seat Vancouver Olympic Centre will host the curling competition in a building that recycles rainwater while Whistler Creekside will host the popular alpine skiing events in a course designed with a spectacular jump at the end.

Numerous public viewing zones will be scattered throughout the Whistler village area, which even during normal times is almost as famous for its boisterous nightlife as it is for its downhills.

The opening and closing ceremonies will take place in BC Place, a domed area with a capacity of 55,000. It will be the first time they have ever been held inside.

Together with the now obligatory live viewing zones for fans unable to get tickets to the venues, Vancouver will feature pavilions from many of the participating countries and also offer an Olympic first: a special pavilion to welcome gay and lesbian visitors to the Games.

In addition to the sports, Vancouver will hold a giant Cultural Olympiad with more than 600 featured events, many of them free. Foreign representatives are also keen to join the party. One Dutch beer company is taking over a local arena to turn it into one of city's largest party spots.

'Vancouver has everything,' says Billy Rickard, who will be one of thousands of US visitors pouring in to the city. 'I come here whenever I can anyway. Winter or summer it's a great place to be, and it will be a great Olympic city.'