Countdown To The Olympics

After years of planning, it is now time to start implementing. Representatives of 75 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are currently meeting at the Vancouver 2010 Chefs de Mission Seminar to prepare next year’s Olympic Winter Games. Through presentations, working meetings, information booths and venue tours, the Organising Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee (VANOC), in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is briefing the NOC representatives present about various operational aspects which will be crucial for the smooth running of the Games in exactly one year’s time.

What’s the role of a Chef?
Chefs de Mission lead their NOC’s delegation, and are responsible for all their athletes and team officials during Games time. At the moment, they are getting familiar with the venues, city layout, transport, and all the detailed operations which VANOC is arranging for their athletes and team officials during the Games.

Complex operations
The variety of subjects covered during the seminar – such as Olympic Villages, athletes’ food, ticketing, accreditation and sport entries, medical services and doping control, support grants and protocol, to name but a few – reflects the meticulous operational management needed to welcome about 2,600 athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games. Accordingly, the variety of the questions posed by the Chefs de Mission from all over the world shows the diverse needs of the NOCs, depending on their differing size, structure, means and location.