The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games
The biggest event presently on the calendar is the 2010 Olympic Wintergames, February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Athletes from around the world will compete in Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Sskating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Ice Sledge Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Speedskating, Long and Short Track, Skeleton, Ski Jumping and Snowboard.
The Paralympics games will be held March 12 to 21, 2010
The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination or any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
Quick Facts about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Wintergames
17 days of Olympic Games events
5,000 Olympic Games athletes and officials
1,700 Paralympic Games athletes and officials
80+ countries participating in Olympic Winter Games
40+ countries participating in Paralympic Winter Games
10,000 media representatives
For the first time in Olympic history, Aboriginal participation is a specific function of an Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee. The Olympic Committee is working with the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations – known as the Four Host First Nations – on whose traditional lands the Games will take place – as well as other First Nation, Inuit and Meìtis groups throughout Canada
The venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games stretch over a 120-kilometre zone from the shores of Richmond, just south of Vancouver, through Vancouver’s downtown centre north to the snowy peaks of the mountain resort of Whistler.
INUKSHUK
Vancouver's Olympic Wintergames Organizing Committee (VANOC) chose a contemporary interpretation of the inukshuk as the official emblem of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Inukshuks are stone sculptures used by Canada's Inuit people as directional landmarks across the north. The emblem was named "Ilanaaq", the Inuit word for friend.
