Jump to content

2010 Winter Olympics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bohuiginn (talk | contribs) at 23:30, 17 February 2010 (→‎Opposition: Corrected improper citation for "hundred" in opposition. Changed to many.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held on February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler, British Columbia and in the Vancouver suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University Endowment Lands. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being organized by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). The 2010 Winter Olympics are the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada was home to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.

Following Olympic tradition, then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The flag was raised on February 28, 2006, in a special ceremony, and was on display at Vancouver City Hall until the Olympic opening ceremony. The event was officially opened by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.[3]

Bid and preparations

2010 Winter Olympics bidding results
City NOC Name Round 1 Round 2
Vancouver  Canada 40 56
PyeongChang  South Korea 51 53
Salzburg  Austria 16 -

The Canadian Olympic Association chose Vancouver as the Canadian candidate city over Calgary, which sought to re-host the games and Quebec City, which had lost the 2002 Olympic bid in 1995. On the first round of voting on November 21, 1998, Vancouver-Whistler had 26 votes, Quebec City with 25 and Calgary 21. On December 3, 1998, the second and final round of voting occurred between the two leading contenders, which saw Vancouver win with 40 votes compared to Quebec City's 32. The win allowed Vancouver to prepare its bid and begin lobbying efforts internationally.[citation needed]

After the bid bribing scandal that took place with the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City (which saw Quebec City asking for compensation (C$8 million) for their failed 2002 bid),[4] 1999 saw many of the rules around the bidding process change. The IOC created the Evaluation Commission which was appointed on October 24, 2002. Prior to the bidding for the 2008 Summer Olympics, often host cities would fly members of the IOC to their city where they toured the city and were provided with gifts from the city. The lack of oversight and transparency often led to allegations of money for votes. Afterward, changes brought forth by the IOC bidding rules were tightened, and more focused on technical aspects of candidate cities. The team analysed the candidate city features and provided its input back to the IOC. The bid books from the three candidate cities were submitted in January 2003 and inspections occurred before May 2003, when the final report was submitted. [citation needed]

Vancouver won the bidding process to host the Olympics by a vote of the International Olympic Committee on July 2, 2003, at the 115th IOC Session held in Prague, Czech Republic. The result was announced by IOC President Jacques Rogge.[5] Vancouver faced two other finalists shortlisted that same February: PyeongChang, South Korea, and Salzburg, Austria. Pyeongchang had the most votes of the three cities in the first round of voting, in which Salzburg was eliminated. In the run-off, all but two of the members who had voted for Salzburg voted for Vancouver. It was the closest vote by the IOC since Sydney, Australia beat Beijing for the 2000 Summer Olympics by 2 votes. Vancouver's victory came almost 2 years after Toronto's 2008 Summer Olympic bid was defeated by Beijing in a landslide vote.

The British Columbia government also indicated it would pay for a $600 million upgrade of the Sea-to-Sky Highway to accommodate increased traffic between Vancouver and Whistler.

The Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) spent $16.6 million on upgrading facilities at Cypress Mountain, which hosts the freestyle (aerials, moguls, ski cross) and snowboarding events. The athletes' villages in Whistler and Vancouver are now complete, as are the main media centre in Coal Harbour and its Whistler counterpart.[6]

With the opening in February 2009 of the $40-million Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre at Hillcrest Park which hosts curling, every sports venue for the 2010 games was completed on time and at least one year prior to the games.[7][8]

Costs

In 2004, the operational cost of the 2010 Winter Olympics was estimated to be Canadian $1.354 billion. As of mid-2009 it is projected to be $1.76 billion,[9] all raised from non-government sources,[citation needed] primarily through sponsorships and the auction of national broadcasting rights. $580 million is the taxpayer-supported budget to construct or renovate venues throughout Vancouver and Whistler, $200 million was expected to be spent for security, of which the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is the lead agency. That number was later revealed to be in the region of $1 billion, an amount in excess of five times what was originally estimated.[10] As of the start of February 2010, the total cost of the Games, including all the infrastructure improvements for the region that occurred is estimated to be $6 billion, with $600 million of the spending directly related to hosting the games. Projected benefits and revenues to the city and province are projected to be in the range of $10 billion, with a Price-Waterhouse report indicating that the projected direct revenues will be in the range of $1 billion.[11]

Venues

Richmond Olympic Oval: speed skating long track venue

Some venues, including the Richmond Olympic Oval, are at sea level, a rarity for the Winter Games.[citation needed] The 2010 Games are also the the first—Winter or Summer—to have had an Opening Ceremony held indoors.[citation needed] Vancouver is the most populous city ever to hold the Winter Games. In February, the month when the Games are being held, Vancouver has an average temperature of 4.8 °C (40.6 °F).[12]

The opening and closing ceremonies are being held at BC Place Stadium, which received over $150 million in major renovations. Competition venues in Greater Vancouver include the Pacific Coliseum, the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, the UBC Winter Sports Centre, the Richmond Olympic Oval and Cypress Mountain. GM Place, home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, plays host to ice hockey events, but because corporate sponsorship is not allowed for an Olympic venue, it has been renamed Canada Hockey Place for the duration of the games.[13] Renovations include the removal of advertising from the ice surface and conversion of some seating to accommodate the media.[13] Competition venues in Whistler include the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, the Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The 2010 Winter Games mark the first time that the energy consumption of the Olympic venues are being tracked in real-time and available to the public. Energy data is collected from the metering and building automation systems of nine of the Olympic venues and is being displayed online through the Venue Energy Tracker project.[14]

Marketing

A statue of Ilanaaq, located on Whistler Mountain.
File:V2010m.jpg
From left to right: Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga.

Leo Obstbaum (1969–2009), the late director of design for the 2010 Winter Olympics, oversaw and designed many of the main symbols of the games, including the mascots, medals and the design of the Olympic torches.[15]

The 2010 Winter Olympics logo was unveiled on April 23, 2005, and is named Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq. Ilanaaq is the Inuktitut word for friend. The logo is based on the Inukshuk (stone landmark or cairn) built for the Northwest Territories Pavilion at Expo 86 and donated to the City of Vancouver after the event. It is now used as a landmark on English Bay Beach.

The mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were introduced on November 27, 2007.[16] Inspired by traditional First Nations creatures, the mascots include:

  • Miga — A mythical sea bear, part orca and part kermode bear.
  • Quatchi — A sasquatch, who wears boots and earmuffs.
  • Sumi — An animal guardian spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty Thunderbird and runs on the strong furry legs of the black bear.
  • Mukmuk — A Vancouver Island marmot.

Miga and Quatchi are mascots for the Olympic Games, while Sumi is the mascot for the Paralympic Games. Mukmuk is considered a sidekick, not a full mascot.

The Royal Canadian Mint is producing a series of commemorative coins celebrating the 2010 games,[17] and in partnership with CTV is also allowing users to vote on the Top 10 Canadian Olympic Winter Moments; where designs honoring the top three will be added to the series of coins.[18]

Vancouver 2010 is a video game modeled after the Olympic Games in Vancouver. It was released on January 12, 2010 to promote the upcoming Olympics Games.

Media coverage

The Olympic Games in Vancouver are being broadcasted worldwide by a number of television broadcasters. As rights for the 2010 games have been packaged with those for the 2012 Summer Olympics, broadcasters will be largely identical for both events.

The host broadcaster is Olympic Broadcasting Services Vancouver, a subsidiary of the IOC's new in-house broadcasting unit Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). The 2010 Olympics marks the first games where the host broadcasting facilities are provided solely by OBS.[19] The executive director of Olympic Broadcasting Services Vancouver is Nancy Lee, a former producer and executive for CBC Sports.[20]

In Canada, the games are be the first Olympic Games broadcast by a new Olympic Broadcast Media Consortiumonsortium led by CTVglobemedia and Rogers Media, displacing previous broadcaster CBC Sports. Main English-language coverage is shown on the CTV Television Network, while supplementary programming is mainly shown on TSN and Rogers Sportsnet.[21]

In the United States, Associated Press (AP) plans to send 120 reporters, photographers, editors and videographers to cover the games on behalf of the country's news media.[22] The cost of their Olympics coverage has prompted AP to make a "real departure for the wire service's online coverage. Rather than simply providing content, it is partnering with more than 900 newspapers and broadcasters who split the ad revenue generated from an AP-produced multi-media package of video, photos, statistics, stories and a daily Webcast."[22] AP's coverage includes a microsite with web widgets facilitating integration with social networking and bookmarking services.[23]

Torch relay

The clock counting down to the opening of Olympics Games in downtown Vancouver.

The Olympic Torch Relay is the transfer of the Olympic flame from Ancient Olympia, Greece — where the first Olympic Games were held thousands of years ago — to the stadium of the city hosting the current Olympic Games. The flame arrives just in time for the Opening Ceremony.

For the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the flame was lit in Olympia on October 22, 2009.[24] It then traveled from Greece, over the North Pole to Canada's High Arctic and on to the West Coast and Vancouver. The relay started its long Canada journey from the British Columbia capital of Victoria. In Canada, the torch traveled approximately 45,000 kilometers over 106 days, making it the longest relay route within one country in Olympic history. The Olympic Torch was carried by approximately 12,000 Canadians and reached over 1,000 communities.[25][26]

Celebrity torchbearers included Arnold Schwarzenegger,[27] Steve Nash,[28] Matt Lauer,[29] Justin Morneau,[30] Michael Buble,[31] Bob Costas,[32] Shania Twain,[33] and hockey greats including Sidney Crosby,[34] Wayne Gretzky,[35] and the captains of the two Vancouver Canucks teams that went to the Stanley Cup Finals: Trevor Linden (1994) and Stan Smyl (1982).

The Games

Participating teams

82 National Olympic Committees have entered teams in the 2010 Winter Olympics.[36] Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ghana, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru and Serbia are making their winter Olympic debuts. Also Jamaica, Mexico and Morocco return to the games after missing the Turin Games. Tonga sought to make its Winter Olympic debut by entering a single competitor in luge, attracting some media attention, but he crashed in the final round of qualifying.[37] Luxembourg qualified two athletes[38] but did not participate because one did not reach the criteria set by the NOC[39] and the other was injured[40] before the games.

Template:Multicol

| class="col-break " |

| class="col-break " |

|}

The following nations which competed at the previous Winter Games in Turin are not participating in Vancouver:

Sports

Fifteen winter sports events have been announced as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The eight sports categorized as ice sports are: bobsled, luge, skeleton, ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating and curling. The three sports categorized as alpine skiing and snowboarding events are: alpine, freestyle and snowboarding. The four sports categorized as Nordic events are: biathlon, cross country skiing, ski jumping and nordic combined.

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.

The opening and closing ceremonies and the events categorized as ice sports (excluding bobsleigh, luge and skeleton) are being held in Vancouver and Richmond. The sports categorized as "Nordic events" are being held in the Callaghan Valley located just to the west of Whistler. All alpine skiing events are being held on Whistler Mountain (Creekside) and sliding events (bobsleigh, luge and skeleton) are being held on Blackcomb Mountain. Cypress Mountain (located in Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver) is hosting the 2010 freestyle skiing (aerials, moguls, and ski cross), and all 2010 snowboard events (half-pipe, parallel giant slalom, snowboard cross).

Vancouver 2010 is also be the first winter Olympics in which both men's and women's hockey are being played on a narrower, NHL-sized ice rink,[64] measuring 200 ft × 85 ft (61 m × 26 m), instead of the international size of 200 ft × 98.5 ft (61 m × 30 m). The games are being played at General Motors Place, home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks and which is temporarily renamed Canada Hockey Place for the duration of the Olympics. This change is expected to save $10 million (CAD) in construction costs and allow an additional 35,000 spectators to attend Olympic hockey games.[64] However, some European countries expressed concern over this decision, worried that it might give North American players an advantage since they grew up playing on the smaller NHL-sized rinks.[65]

There were a number of events proposed to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics.[66] On November 28, 2006, the IOC Executive Board at their meeting in Kuwait voted to include skicross in the official program.[67] The Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) subsequently approved the event to be officially part of the Games program.[68]

Events proposed for inclusion but ultimately rejected included:[69]

The issue over women's ski jumping being excluded ended up in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver during April 21–24, 2009 with a verdict on 10 July 2009 excluding women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games.[70] A request to appeal that verdict to the Supreme Court of Canada was subsequently denied on Dec 22, 2009 – a decision that marked the end of any hopes that the event would be held during Vancouver 2010.[71] To alleviate the exclusion, VANOC organizers invited women from all over Canada to participate at Whistler Olympic Park, including Continential Cup in January 2009.[70] There is now an effort to include women's ski jumping for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[72]

Calendar

In the following calendar for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport are held. Each bullet in these boxes is an event final, the number of bullets per box representing the number of finals that are being contested on that day.[73]

Template:2010 Winter Olympics Calendar

Medal table

The top ten listed NOCs at these Games are listed below. The host nation, Canada, is highlighted.

1  Germany (GER) 3 4 2 9
2  United States (USA) 3 3 4 10
3  South Korea (KOR) 3 1 0 4
4  Switzerland (SUI) 3 0 1 4
5  Canada (CAN) 2 2 1 5
6  France (FRA) 2 1 4 7
7  Sweden (SWE) 2 0 0 2
8  Norway (NOR) 1 2 2 5
9  China (CHN) 1 1 1 3
9  Russia (RUS) 1 1 1 3

Concerns and challenges

Death of Nodar Kumaritashvili

Hours before the opening ceremony, Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia was killed during a training run for the luge after he was thrown from his sled and struck a steel pillar at high speed, near the end of the course.[74] The International Luge Federation called an emergency meeting after the accident, and all other training runs were cancelled for the day.[75]

The Whistler Sliding Centre, which has recorded some of the fastest speeds in luge history, was the site of several non-fatal accidents during training runs leading up to the start of the games.[75]

As a result, the height of the wall Kumaritashvili surmounted was increased, with added wooden panels and padding. Officials also ordered changes to the layout of the final turn of the Whistler luge track, making it slower and safer, and moved the men's and women's luge starts down the track.[76]

Kumaritashvili's teammate, Levan Gureshidze, did not race. He was on the official start list for the first run but withdrew, telling other racers he couldn't go on.[77]

Bilingualism

The opening ceremony was criticized for a lack of representation from French-speaking Canadians, including La Francophonie Secretary General Abdou Diouf.[78] Quebec Premier Jean Charest said the ceremony failed to respect and reflect the francophone community in Canada.[79] In an interview with CBC, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, James Moore, was "disappointed" by the low representation of French during the ceremony.[80] VANOC replied that it had difficulty finding available francophone singers, though it had asked several, including Celine Dion.[81] Canadian Member of Parliament Richard Nadeau of the Bloc Québécois sees rather a lack of political will to promote Canadian bilingualism.[82] Among the 25,000 volunteers, 15% of them speak French.[83]

H1N1 pandemic

There have been concerns that the H1N1 virus could spread among spectators, staff and athletes during the games.[84] Organizers are stockpiling vaccine and placing a high priority on vaccinating all volunteers.[85] While each country is responsible for the vaccination of its own athletic delegation, Vancouver health officials and the International Olympic Committee have strongly recommended all athletes, spectators and other visitors be vaccinated.[86][87] Some Olympic Committees are requiring their delegations to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.[88] In light of concerns, local British Columbia health officials plan to vaccinate participants and spectators for free during the duration of the games.[89][90]

Women's ski jumping

The IOC voted in 2006 not to include women's ski jumping in the 2010 Games on the grounds that the sport was not yet developed enough and did not meet basic criteria for inclusion. The members of the Canadian Women Ski Jumping Team filed a grievance with the Canadian Human Rights Board citing gender discrimination. So far the IOC has yet to comment or change its decision.[91]

According to lobby group Women's Ski Jumping USA, a group composed of "some of the top women ski jumpers", filed a Statement of Claim with the Supreme Court of British Columbia suing the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee for excluding women ski jumpers from the Vancouver games claiming that their rights were violated according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[92] However, on June 10, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled against the group, stating that though the women were being discriminated against,[93] the issue is an International Olympic Committee responsibility, and thus is not governed by the Charter, and finally, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms did not apply to VANOC, with the term, "In other words, VANOC is not under a duty to distribute equally what it has no power to provide."[94]

Vancouver Athletes' Village

Whistler Athletes' Village (more athletes are staying here than at the village in Vancouver)

The athletes' village located at Southeast False Creek was originally planned to be a model sustainable community, with state of the art energy efficiency provisions, and a mix of market and social housing, at one third market, one third social housing and one third subsidized middle income housing. The city of Vancouver would break even through the sale of market housing. However, a new city council in 2005 dropped the provisions for subsidized middle income housing and then sold the lands to a private developer for 193 million dollars.[95] Further controversy erupted when the private developer and its associated investment company backed out of the project, forcing the city of Vancouver to bear the liability, which resulted in the resignation of a city planner in protest and saw the city seek special legislation making changes to its charter to allow it to borrow money to finance completion of the project.[96][97]

Leading up to the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee had ordered the removal of a two-storey high Australian Boxing Kangaroo flag which had been draped over a balcony in the athletes' village. The IOC ordered the flag to be taken down because they believed the image to be too commercial as it is a registered trademark (albeit of the Australian Olympic Committee).[98] The order for removal was later withdrawn after IOC president Jacques Rogge met with AOC president John Coates.[99]

Opening ceremonies content

On August 22, 2008, The Globe and Mail reported that the Harper government intended to tie funding to the opening ceremonies to control over content. This was widely criticized as reflecting policies of interfering with the arts and exercising ideological control. However, the vice-president of communications for the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee, Renée Smith-Valade, said the government was not bringing politics into the 2010 games and did not have veto power over any part of the Olympic ceremonies.[100]

Trademark enforcement

VANOC used lines from the Canadian national anthem to serve as the official slogans for the games ("with glowing hearts" in English and "des plus brilliants exploits" in French) and trademarked their use. However, VANOC stated it would only challenge usage of the lines in the case of ambush marketing, where an attempt is made to "create a specific, unauthorized commercial association with the 2010 Winter Games".[101] The anthem itself is in the public domain.[1][101] VANOC also began protecting its brand as contractually obligated by the International Olympic Committee and its marketing partners, filing lawsuits against residents attempting to register domain names related to the games. The VANOC also sued local businesses for using "olympic" in their names, including already-existent establishments. The House of Commons also passed laws granting protection for various terms surrounding the games.[1]

Cypress Mountain

Both critics and freestyle skiers have questioned the choice of Cypress Mountain[102] as a venue because of its frequent lack of snow due to El Niño. Last year's World Cup parallel giant slalom was cancelled for lack of snow.[103] Currently the mountain is lacking enough snow for scheduled events and snow is being trucked in from Manning Park about 250 kilometres (160 mi) to the east of the city.[104]

Security and civil rights

In June 2009, the Olympics Resistance Network accused the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit's (VISU) Joint Intelligence Group of "abusive and unlawful conduct" after allegedly harassing VANOC opposition activists.[105] Concerns over policing methods have also been raised because of the head of Olympic security, RCMP Asst. Commissioner Gary Russell "Bud" Mercer, was part of the RCMP forces that blew up a truck in course of the Gustafsen Lake Standoff.[106] Mercer was also among the RCMP who pepper-sprayed protests at the 1997 APEC conference at UBC, personally spraying a CBC cameraman and his camera, and also was part of the "War in the Woods" against tree-sit protestors in the Elaho Valley.[107]

In October 2009, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia through the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2009, gave host municipalities (Richmond, Vancouver and Whistler) the power to enter residences and other private property to seize signs that are deemed to be "anti-olympic", between February 1 and March 31, 2010.[108] Another amendment changed the Vancouver Charter to allow for fines of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to 6 months for sign and bylaw violations.[109]

Privacy rights advocates, including Chantal Bernier, assistant federal privacy commissioner, are concerned about the implementation of 900 security cameras placed by the RCMP Olympic Integrated Security Unit plus another 100 security cameras placed by the city of Vancouver in the Downtown area.[110]

Foreclosure of Whistler resort owner Intrawest

Creditors holding $1.4 billion in debt on Intrawest, the owners of the Whistler Blackcomb Resort, were reported on January 20, 2010, as being ready to foreclose on the resort as part of the creditor, investment bank Lehman Brothers, attempting to recover debts owed it by major creditors, including Fortress Investments, the owner of Intrawest and Whistler Blackcomb since 2006. Despite guarantees from VANOC and the Canadian government of $50 million to keep Intrawest afloat during the Games, there were doubts that the Canadian government would be forthcoming. A private source connected to Wesley Edens, owner of Fortress Investments, has said that Edens may exercise his right in that circumstance to prevent the Games from happening at the resort.[111] VANOC sources say this is unlikely to happen since the creditors would have no reason to diminish the value of the resort that would be enhanced by hosting a prestige event, and also because of the short time-frame of the impending Games relative to the length of the legal proceedings of any auction of Fortress' assets.[112] Fortress is also the company which backed out of the original funding arrangements for the Athletes' Village in Vancouver, and the re-financing of that project by emergency legislation and the involvement of Fortress' subsidiary, Millennium.[96][97]

Equipment failures

Opening ceremonies were stalled while organizers recovered from mechanical problems which prevented the pillars forming the cauldron for the torch lighting from completely rising out of the stadium floor as planned. [113] Speed skating events were delayed for over an hour at the Richmond Olympic Oval when both ice resurfacing experienced mechanical failures. Organizers arranged for the battery powered machines, selected as a part of the games efforts to be as "green" as possible, to be replaced by a traditional natural gas powered resurfacer brought in from Calgary. [114] The selected machines were supplied by General Motors who as a sponsor apparently insisted on their use, while the traditional machines produced by Zamboni run on Ford engines.[115]

Ticket issues

About 28,000 tickets for spectator places along the slopes of a number of outside events were recalled for safety reasons; ticket holders were reimbursed but had difficulty or were not able to gain access to tickets at comparable prices to these events.[115] Visitors were also upset by a twenty dollar charge to attend ceremonies to honor medal-winning athletes.[115] Traditionally, these ceremonies had always been free of charge.

Opposition

Members of the Native Warriors Society pose with the stolen Winter Olympics flag, while holding a Mohawk Warriors Society flag. They stole the flag to protest the Olympics, and to honour the death of Harriet Nahanee.[116]

Opposition to holding the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver has been expressed by many of activists and politicians, including Lower Mainland mayors Derek Corrigan and Richard Walton. Many of the public Olympic events held to date in Vancouver have been attended by protesters.[117] Environmental protests at Eagleridge Bluffs in West Vancouver resulted in the arrest of over 20 people, and jail time for two local women, Betty Krawczyk and Harriet Nahanee.[118] Protesters have also vandalized branches of the Royal Bank of Canada, an Olympic sponsor, in Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria.[119]

On Saturday February 13th, the first day of the actual Olympic sporting events, windows of The Hudson's Bay Company (The Bay), an Olympic sponsor, were smashed in downtown Vancouver by protestors.[120] [121]

There are several reasons for the opposition, some of which are outlined in the documentary film Five Ring Circus[122] and in Helen Jefferson Lenskyj's books Olympic Industry Resistance (2007) and Inside the Olympic Industry (2000).[123] These issues include:

  • The large expense to taxpayers, estimated in 2007 to be CAN$580 million.[124] After the stock market crash of 2008, there have been increasing concerns that Games-related projects would not meet their economic targets. The Olympic Village development, for example, was originally intended to make a profit, but at least one critic estimates it will be millions in debt. Olympic organizers have not commented on this estimate.[125]
  • The destruction of the natural environment, particularly at Eagleridge Bluffs to build a new highway.[126] According to critics, despite claims of the "greenest Olympics" ever, and statements about "sustainability", the 2010 Olympics are among the "most environmentally destructive" in history.[127][128]
  • Displacement of low-income residents and criminalization of the poor and homeless through recent created policies designed to make the city appear cleaner.[129][130][131][132]
  • Child and women trafficking for the purpose of forced prostitution.[133][134][135]

Native opposition

There is opposition to the Olympics amongst indigenous people and their supporters [citation needed]. Although the Lil'wat branch of the St'at'imc Nation is a co-host of the games, a splinter group from the Seton band known as the St’at’imc of Sutikalh, who have also opposed the Cayoosh Ski Resort, fear the Olympics are bringing unwanted tourism and real estate sales to their territory.[136][137] On another front, local aboriginal people as well as Canadian Inuit expressed concern over the choice of an inukshuk as the symbol of the Games, with some Inuit leaders such as former Nunavut Commissioner Peter Irniq stating that the inukshuk is a culturally important symbol to them. He said that the "Inuit never build inuksuit with head, legs and arms. I have seen inuksuit build [sic] more recently, 100 years maybe by non-Inuit in Nunavut, with head, legs and arms. These are not called inuksuit. These are called inunguat, imitation of man."[138] Local aboriginal groups also expressed annoyance that the design did not reflect the Coast Salish and Interior Salish native culture from the region the Games are being held in, but rather that of the Inuit, who are indigenous to the Arctic far from Vancouver. One chief, Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, also said that the design lacked dignity, comparing it to Pac-Man. Edward John, Grand Chief of the First Nations Summit, said some native leaders were so upset about the issue they were prepared to walk out of the unveiling ceremony.[139] The aboriginal governments of the Squamish, Musqueam, Lil'wat and Tsleil-Waututh (the "Four Host First Nations"), on whose traditional territory the games are being held, signed a protocol in 2004[140] in support of the games.[141]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Olympic mottoes borrow lines from O Canada". CBC News. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Vancouver Olympics – Athletes
  3. ^ a b "Gov. Gen. Jean to open 2010 Games: PM". Edmonton Sun. Canadian Press. 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
  4. ^ "IOC rejects Quebec City request". Slam! Olympics. 1999-03-23. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  5. ^ "Vancouver to host 2010 Winter Olympics". CBBC Newsround. 2003-07-02. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  6. ^ "Construction of Olympic Venues". Olympics 2010.
  7. ^ www.CRSportsNews.com – Free Press Release Distribution Center (2009-02-24). "New Vancouver 2010 Sports Venues Completed". Crsportsnews.com. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  8. ^ "Vancouver 2010 sport venues completed on time and within $580-million budget. Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre opens today as a model of sustainable building – News Releases : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics". Vancouver2010.com. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  9. ^ "2010 bid book an Etch-A-Sketch". The Tyee. July 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  10. ^ "Olympic security estimated to cost $900M". CBC News. February 19, 2009.
  11. ^ "As Olympics near, people in Vancouver are dreading Games, Dave Zirin, Sports Illustrated/CNN, January 25, 2010". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  12. ^ "Winter Olympics all wet?: Vancouver has the mildest climate of any Winter Games host city". Vancouver Sun. 2003-07-09.
  13. ^ a b "GM Place to get new name for 2010". CTV News. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  14. ^ "Measuring the Power of Sport". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  15. ^ Wingrove, Josh (2009-08-21). "Vancouver Olympic designer dies at age 40". Globe and Mail. CTV Television Network. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  16. ^ "2010 Vancouver Olympics' mascots inspired by First Nations creatures". CBC Sports. 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  17. ^ “14 circulating coins included in 2010 Olympic program”, Bret Evans, Canadian Coin News, January 23 to February 5, 2007 issue of Canadian Coin News
  18. ^ Shaw, Hollie (February 20th, 2009). "What's Your Olympic Moment?". The National Post. Retrieved 2009-02-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "OBSV Introduction". Obsv.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  20. ^ "Nancy Lee leaving CBC Sports", cbc.ca, October 10, 2006.
  21. ^ "CTV wins 2010 and 2012 Olympic broadcast rights". CBC Sports. 2005-02-09. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
  22. ^ a b "AP Seeks New Internet Business Model in Winter Olympics". Editor & Publisher. February 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
  23. ^ About this Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Microsite from wintergames.ap.org
  24. ^ "Olympic flame lit for Vancouver Games". Russia Today. October 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Funding for 2010 Olympics torch relay to focus on local events". CBC News. 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  26. ^ "2010 Olympic Torch relay general info". CTV. CTV. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Governator takes the flame in Stanley Park". Vancouver Sun. Canwest Publishing. February 13, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Nash, Rees, Set to Run with Torch". Victoria Times Colonist. Canwest Publishing. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "For the next Hour, I am pure Canadian". Vancouver 24hr news. Canoe. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Healthy Morneau excited to carry Torch". mlb.com. mlb.com. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "Michael Buble, Jann Arden to join in Olympic torch ceremony". vancouversun.com. Canwest Publishing. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ "Torchbearer 102 Bob Costas carries the flame in Burnaby". vancouver2010.com. vancouver2010.com. January 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Shania Twain carries Olympic torch". The Canadian Press. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. January 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Reserved, restrained, and rocking with Sid the Kid". ctvolympics.ca. The Globe and Mail. February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ "Pressing questions as Olympic hockey beckons". February 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Quick Facts about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games". VANOC. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  37. ^ "Tongan athlete narrowly misses out on Winter Olympics", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February 1, 2010
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w http://www.fis-ski.com/data/document/summary-quotas-allocation.pdf
  39. ^ "Sport | Kari Peters bleibt zu Hause". wort.lu. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  40. ^ "Sport | Stefano Speck fährt nicht nach Vancouver". wort.lu. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  41. ^ a b c d e f "Alpine team takes fall at 2010 Games – Vancouver 2010 Olympics". thestar.com. 2009-06-10. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  42. ^ a b c d e "Germany, Norway round out 2010 Olympic men's hockey". TSN. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  43. ^ "Athletes : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics". Vancouver2010.com. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  44. ^ a b c d e f "ISU Figure skating qualification system".
  45. ^ a b c d e f "2009 Figure Skating World Championship results".
  46. ^ "Saiba os brasileiros que podem ir a Vancouver".
  47. ^ "Bulgaria received one more quota for the games". Топспорт. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  48. ^ "Travers is snow joke". Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  49. ^ "Olympic Qualification". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  50. ^ "Suomen Olympiajoukkueeseen Vancouver 2010 -talvikisoihin on valittu 94 urheilijaa – kahdella miesalppihiihtäjällä vielä mahdollisuus lunastaa paikka joukkueessa – Suomen Olympiakomitea". Noc.fi. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  51. ^ "108 Français à Vancouver – JO 2010 – L'EQUIPE.FR". Vancouver2010.lequipe.fr. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  52. ^ "Ghana's 'Snow Leopard' qualifies to ski in 2010 Winter Olympics". CBC News. Retrieved 200http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2010_Winter_Olympics&action=edit&section=99-03-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |accessdate= (help)
  53. ^ "Short Track Speed Skating entry list". 24 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  54. ^ "Tashi and Jamyang qualify for 2010 Olympic Winter Games". 18 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  55. ^ a b "Lambiel crushes competition at Nebelhorn". Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  56. ^ "North Korea – CTV Olympics". Ctvolympics.ca. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  57. ^ "Sports | Mongolia Web News". Mongolia-web.com. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  58. ^ "Genomineerden". Nocnsf.nl. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  59. ^ "Anders Rekdal tatt ut til OL i Vancouver på overtid". Olympiatoppen (in Norwegian). 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
  60. ^ "Wystartujemy w Vancouver" (in Polish). 19 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  61. ^ a b "Athletes : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics". Vancouver2010.com. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  62. ^ "OS-truppen komplett(erad) – Olympic Team complete(d)". SOC. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  63. ^ "Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Qualifications | News | USA Luge". Luge.teamusa.org. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  64. ^ a b Mackin, Bob (2006-06-06). "VANOC shrinks Olympic ice". Slam! Sports. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  65. ^ "2010 Olympic hockey will be NHL-sized". CBC News. 2006-06-08. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  66. ^ "Ski-cross aims for Vancouver 2010". BBC Sport. 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  67. ^ "Ski-cross gets approved for 2010". BBC Sport. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  68. ^ "Vancouver 2010: In good shape with positive progress on media accommodation". International Olympic Committee. 2007-03-09. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  69. ^ "Olympic programme updates". International Olympic Committee. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  70. ^ a b Vancouver2010.com 10 July 2009 article on the exclusion of women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games. – accessed 11 July 2009.
  71. ^ cbc.ca 22 Dec 2009 Supreme Court spurns women ski jumpers. – accessed 22 Dec 2009.
  72. ^ canada.com 4 Sep 2009 FIS advocates women's ski jump – accessed 22 Dec 2009.
  73. ^ "Vancouver 2010 Olympic Competition Schedule" (PDF). Vancouver Organizing Committee. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  74. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/luge/8513595.stm
  75. ^ a b "Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after crash". BBC Sport. February 12, 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  76. ^ "Officials insist track is safe". Associated Press. February 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Text "14 February 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  77. ^ "Olympians slide with heavy hearts". ESPN. 2010-02-14.
  78. ^ "Déception chez les observateurs". Radio-Canada. February 12, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |4= (help); Text "February 12, 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  79. ^ "Olympics need more French: heritage minister". CBC. February 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |4= (help); Text "February 14, 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  80. ^ "Comme la neige, le français se fait rare à Vancouver". TVA. February 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |4= (help); Text "February 14, 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  81. ^ Barber, Mike; Lee, Jeff (2010-02-15). "Heritage minister 'disappointed' by lack of French". Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  82. ^ "Un manque de volonté, déplore le député Richard Nadeau". TVA. February 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |4= (help); Text "February 14, 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  83. ^ "Seuls 15% des 25 000 bénévoles parlent le français". TVA. February 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |4= (help); Text "February 14, 2010" ignored (help); Text "access date" ignored (help)
  84. ^ "CTV British Columbia- Officials focus on H1N1 plan ahead of Olympics – CTV News, Shows and Sports – Canadian Television". Ctvbc.ctv.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  85. ^ "Vancouver 2010 To Vaccinate Against H1N1". GamesBids.com. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  86. ^ by CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News. "Vancouver 2010 – Preparing for H1N1 | KING 5 TV | Seattle News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | HealthLink". King5.com. Retrieved 2010-01-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  87. ^ "2010 athletes, spectators urged to get H1N1 shots". Sports-city.org. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  88. ^ "Italy Plans Swine Flu Vaccinations for Vancouver – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2009-10-30. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  89. ^ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/02/bc-offering-h1n1-shots-to-olympic-athletes.html
  90. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gdPrYeGPRWKW3p4G85TGz4LAJM4g
  91. ^ "Groups to press IOC to allow women's ski jumping in 2010 Olympics". USA Today. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  92. ^ "Women ski jumpers suing for 2010 Olympic spot". CBC Sports. 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  93. ^ "CTV Olympics – No female flight in 2010: B.C. court rejects ski jump bid". Ctvolympics.ca. 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  94. ^ "CBC – NFemale ski jumpers lose Olympic battle". Cbc.ca. 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  95. ^ Kear, M. (2007) "Spaces of transition—spaces of tomorrow: making a sustainable future in Southeast False Creek", in: Vancouver Cities; Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 324–334
  96. ^ a b Mackin, Bob (2009-06-19). "Vancouver releases secret Olympic Village documents, Bob Mackin, The Tyee, June 19, 2009". Thetyee.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  97. ^ a b Speech by [[Corky Evans] in the BC Legislature, Thursday, January 29, 2009], from BC Hansard, Legislature Raids/Basi-Virk Trial webpage
  98. ^ Decision on boxing kangaroo 'ridiculous' – news.com.au, 5 Feb 2010
  99. ^ Boxing kangaroo to fly at Aussie villageThe Daily Telegraph, 8 Feb 2010
  100. ^ Matas, Robert (2008-08-22). "Ottawa aims to put its stamp on 2010 Games: Vancouver opening ceremony must help Harper government 'achieve its domestic and international branding goals,' memo says". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  101. ^ a b "Protecting the Brand". Vancouver 2010. Vancouver, British Columbia: Vanoc. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  102. ^ "The Tyee — Mush! Move Cypress Events to Okanagan". Thetyee.ca. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  103. ^ Bell, Terry (2009-02-15). "Cypress World Cup PGS cancelled – The BOB: Bell's Olympic Blog". Communities.canada.com. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  104. ^ "Trucks start moving snow to Cypress Mountain from Manning Park". Vancouversun.com. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  105. ^ Grindlay, Lora (June 25, 2009). "Olympics protesters ask 2010 security to stop 'abusive and unlawful conduct'". The Province.
  106. ^ "Olympics' Top Cop Helped Blow up Truck at Gustafsen Stand-off, Geoff Dembicki and Bob Mackin, Vancouver 24 Hours, Today, TheTyee.ca. October 19, 2009". Thetyee.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  107. ^ "Mercer Blasted APEC Protesters with Pepper Spray, Bob Mackin, Vancouver 24 hours and Geoff Dembicki, The Tyee, October 22, 2009". Thetyee.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  108. ^ "MISCELLANEOUS STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2009". Leg.bc.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  109. ^ "BCCLA condemns unlucky B.C. Government Bill 13". Bccla.org. 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  110. ^ "1,000 security cameras watching Vancouver, Whistler". CTV.ca. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  111. ^ Kosman, Josh (2010-01-20). "Intrawest foreclosure a threat to Olympics, Josh Kosman and Mark deCambre, New York Post, January 20, 2010". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  112. ^ Vancouver Downplays Ski Venue Dispute, Reuters, January 20, 2010, as published in the New York Times
  113. ^ MACKIN, BOB (2010-02-15). "Mishaps plague games". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  114. ^ "Speed skating ice woes threaten green sheen". Reuters. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 16 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  115. ^ a b c spiegelonline sport (02-18-2010). "Möge das Wirrwarr gewinnen" (in German). Retrieved 02-18-2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  116. ^ Native Warrior Society (2007-03-07). "Native Warriors Claim Responsibility for Taking Olympic Flag". Infoshop News. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  117. ^ Lee, Jeff (March 13, 2007). "Protesters arrested at Olympic flag illumination". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  118. ^ "Police move in to end protest on Bluffs". Vancouver Sun. 2006-05-29.
  119. ^ Mackin, B. (2008-02-06). "Anti-2010 vandals hit Ottawa Royal Bank". 24 Hours.
  120. ^ Olympic Violence
  121. ^ Charges laid In Riot
  122. ^ "Five Ring Circus". Documentary film. 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
  123. ^ "http://www.sunypress.edu/p-3274-inside-the-olympic-industry.aspx". Sunypress.edu. Retrieved 2010-02-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  124. ^ CTV.ca News Staff (May 8, 2007). "Vancouver 2010 Olympics to cost $1.6 billion". CTV Television Network. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  125. ^ Miro Cernetig, The Vancouver Sun (January 5, 2009). "Olympic Village finances getting scary for taxpayers". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  126. ^ "The Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs at Horseshoe Bay". Retrieved 2007-03-28.
  127. ^ "Are the Games Really Green?". E, the Environmental Magazine. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  128. ^ "Garry John and Maude Barlow: 2010 Olympics will leave legacy of social, environmental destruction". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  129. ^ http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/anti-olympics-movement-targeted-some-15-visu-joint-intelligence-group-visits-in-48-hours/
  130. ^ http://www.accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2175
  131. ^ http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308028,olympics-take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side-in-vancouver.html
  132. ^ http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/SPORTS/706060329/1004/SPORTS
  133. ^ "The Tyee — Will Olympics Be Magnet for Human Traffickers?". Thetyee.ca. 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  134. ^ http://www.vancouverobserver.com/politics/commentary/2010/02/02/human-trafficking-alive-and-well-2010-olympics
  135. ^ http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/2010wintergames/sports/2010wintergames/Vancouver+Olympics+failing+curb+trafficking+group/2542883/story.html
  136. ^ "Sutikalh Re-occupation Camp".
  137. ^ "It's all about the Land". The Dominion.
  138. ^ "Olympic inukshuk irks Inuit leader". CBC.ca Sports. April 27, 2005. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  139. ^ "Vancouver Olympic emblem comes under fire". CBC News. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  140. ^ 4HN_Protocol_Final_Nov 24.pub[dead link]
  141. ^ "Four Host First Nations". Four Host First Nations. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
Preceded by Winter Olympics
Vancouver

XXI Olympic Winter Games (2010)
Succeeded by