Whistler Olympic Park Ski Jump Stadium Delivers on Promise of World-Class 2010 Winter Games Venue

Whistler, Canada (ots/PRNewswire) -

- (La version française sera diffusé sous peu dans
vancouver2010.com/fr.)

With the Canadian National Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined
Championships underway at Whistler Olympic Park, the ski jump
facilities at the venue for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
have met the expectations of North America's best jumpers.

"The ski jump was awesome and the view from the top is really
perfect," said Zoya Lynch, member of Canada's national ski jumping
team. "This is a great location and the hill was prepared well."

"The facilities at Whistler Olympic Park are perfect for training
and competition of Nordic combined athletes given the proximity of
the cross-country ski trails to the jumping hills," said Walt Savill,
director of operations with Nordic Combined Ski Canada. "The past
week of training and competition here has certainly surpassed our
expectations and we anticipate this being a major training facility
for us."

Athletes began training on December 28, when a total of 24 men and
women on Canada's national ski jumping and Nordic combined teams took
the first test jumps on the new venue. Training continued daily until
January 1, with the athletes completing more than 2,000 jumps prior
to the start of the first official competition. The North American
Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Junior Championships were held on
January 2-3, while the Canadian National Ski Jumping and Nordic
Combined Championships, with over 60 athletes competing from the US
and Canada, are scheduled to be completed by Saturday, January 5.
These events will determine the top male and female junior ski
jumpers and Nordic combined junior skiers in North America, and the
top overall male and female ski jumping and Nordic combined athletes
in Canada.

Over the course of the first week, feedback from coaches and
athletes has focused on the design of the new ski jump facilities
that have incorporated several critical sport-specific
considerations, including:

- stable and consistent wind conditions, which are required for
optimal performance

- three systems to ensure consistent in-run track surface
conditions, including a world class in-run track setting system, a
snow refrigeration system and a track covering system

- a dedicated chairlift, providing athletes and coaches with quick
and easy access to the jumps

Despite severe wind advisories for most of the BC Coastal Region
this week, wind conditions at Whistler Olympic Park were calm and
consistent. Heavy snow conditions all week resulted in the successful
use of the mechanical track covering system on the in-run. These
weather conditions also resulted in the postponement of Thursday's
team competition due to accumulated snow on the out-run; the
postponed team competition is tentatively scheduled for Saturday,
January 5. The refrigeration system, which freezes the in-run tracks,
was activated on the Large Hill today, allowing for jumping despite
heavy snowfall. The dedicated chairlift is providing athletes with a
six-minute turnaround between the jumps of individual skiers,
ensuring maximum use of the jumps as an efficient training facility
for the National Team.

"The first days of use at any new venue are a learning
opportunity. Every day we delivered a world-class venue and gained
more practical experience to enhance the operations and athlete
experience," said John Heilig, manager for ski jumping and Nordic
combined with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic
and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). "Despite the postponement of the
team competition on Thursday, overall we are very satisfied with our
first full week of operations."

Added Heilig, "These first events staged on the ski jumps at
Whistler Olympic Park also provided volunteers from Nordic Combined
Ski Canada (NCSC), Ski Jumping Canada and the Callaghan Valley Local
Organizing Committee (CALOC) with the opportunity to work together
and share best practices. Interest and awareness of these sports is
growing, and we look forward to building a strong volunteer base to
support the venue. The expertise gained by volunteers from events
such as these and others in the coming years, will greatly contribute
to the success of the 2010 Winter Games."

"As we expected, Whistler Olympic Park is proving to be a valuable
training facility, not only for men, but also for young women ski
jumpers as they further develop their sport to successfully meet
criteria for IOC (International Olympic Committee) consideration for
future Olympic Winter Games," said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC's
executive vice president, Sport, Paralympic Games and Venue
Management. "We know the women jumpers have their sights set on
competing in the Games someday - and we are pleased to contribute to
the development of their sport, with hopes for inclusion at future
Olympic Winter Games."

All three stadia at Whistler Olympic Park (cross-country skiing,
biathlon and ski jumping) are now open and available for athlete
training and competition, meeting VANOC's commitment to complete the
venues two years before the Games. In addition, the Whistler Olympic
Park cross-country ski trails are proving popular for recreational
use; an estimated 5,000 recreational skiers have used the trails
since they opened on December 15. "Whistler Olympic Park is now
meeting both the training and competition needs of all Nordic
athletes, and offering a challenging and spectacularly scenic new
venue for cross-country ski enthusiasts of all ages and skill
levels," said John Aalberg, VANOC's director for Whistler Olympic
Park.

Photos and video clips from the preliminary test jumps at Whistler
Olympic Park, as well as competitions held this past week, are
available in high resolution format at
ftp://2010ftp.vancouver2010.com (username: MediaVenueDay, password:
thesc00p). (Photo credits: VANOC / Brad Kasselman - coastphoto.com)

Upcoming events to be staged at the ski jumps at Whistler Olympic
Park include:

- 2008_02_03 FIS Cup Ski Jumping (5-8 countries)

- 2008_02_27-28 FIS Cup Ski Jumping (5-8 countries)

- 2008_03_1-2 FIS Continental Cup Ski Jumping (12-16 countries)

During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the ski jumping
competitions start on February 12 and continue through February 22,
while the Nordic combined competitions run from February 14 through
February 25. Tickets for the ski jumping are priced between $80 and
$120 while tickets for the Nordic combined events are priced between
$50 and $120. Additional information on ski jumping and Nordic
combined can be found at http://www.vancouver2010.com while details
on operations at Whistler Olympic Park are available at
http://www.whistlerolympicpark.com.

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and
staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter
Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in
Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and
Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21,
2010.

ots Originaltext: VANOC
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

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For further information: Media Contacts: Stephane Delisle, Vancouver
2010, +1-778-328-1186; Mary Fraser, Vancouver 2010, +1-778-328-3667