Countdown To The Olympics

Whistler (AFP) – Steven Holcomb’s USA 1 won the United States’ first Olympic bobsleigh gold in 62 years on Saturday after their ‘Night Train’ sleigh bulleted past the field on the Whistler track.

“It’s huge, it’s great,” said Holcomb, who last year became the first American in half a century to win a world title and who arrived at these Games just two years on from sight-saving surgery for a degenerative eye disorder.

He drove his quartet to victory in a combined four-heat time of 3min 24.46sec as Andre Lange’s Germany 1 took silver in 3min 24.84sec for a comfortable American winning margin of 0.38sec.

Two-man champion Lange, missing a record third straight gold in the four-man, denied Lyndon Rush’s bronze medallists Canada 1 by just 0.01sec.

“I made some mistakes in the two-man. I came back and corrected those and it paid off,” said Holcomb, who placed sixth in the two-man, where Lange, whom he greatly admires, took the title.

“He’s pushed my game to a better level – competition breeds excellence,” said the burly, bearded American.

Lange brakeman Kevin Kuske insisted that all the talk of the track being too dangerous had to be put into perspective.

“Steven proved four times this track is really driveable,” said the German after Holcomb drove his crew of Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curtis Tomasevicz to success.

Holcomb, 29, admitted that “it’s a tricky track, the fastest in the world. Nowhere else can you train for 95 mph (140 kph) tight curves.”

Saturday’s drizzly conditions ensured the track was slower than Friday, which saw six crashes, adding to more than a dozen previously in the men’s and women’s events.

Four teams did not start while five had already withdrawn before the opening heats as the difficulty and sheer speed of the track took a heavy toll.

Holcomb’s crew, leading the Canadians by 0.4sec overnight, added another 0.005sec in heat three, by which time the contest was effectively all over.

Lange at least had the satisfaction of the fastest final heat time of 51.36sec, but the margin held for the American quartet who celebrated at the finish, waving their helmets in the air and grabbing a huge Stars and Stripes flag.

The quartet then embraced and exchanged warm handshakes with their fellow podium finishers.

‘Smokin’ Francis Tyler won the last US bob medal in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1948.

But Holcomb has shown great consistency on the way to laying to rest those six-decade old ghosts with driving skills that Kuske on Saturday lauded as “super genius”.

Many of the teams struggled with one crash on average for every four bobs on Friday on a track which witnessed the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in pre-tournament training.

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Vancouver 2010

Whistler (AFP) – Giuliano Razzoli of Italy stormed to a convincing win in the Olympic slalom on Saturday as Austria’s men’s team were comdemned to a medal-less Games for the first time in 74 years.

Razzoli clocked a combined total of 1min 39.32sec over the two runs, 0.16sec ahead of Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic with Andre Myhrer of Sweden taking bronze, a further 0.28sec adrift.

The Italian, whose sole World Cup victory came at Zagreb this season, led by 0.43sec after the first run but put any nerves to one side on the second run to nail an impressive day’s skiing in difficult conditions that included heavy rain, thick fog and very wet snow.

Razzoli edged Austrian Benjamin Raich into fourth place, meaning the Austrian men’s team remained medal-less for the first time since 1936 when alpine skiing was first introduced at the Olympic Winter Games.

“It’s a dream because I’ve been training a lot for this day. It’s incredible,” said Razzoli.

“It’s been a long time coming, the last time Italy had a medal in the slalom was in 1992, and now in 2010, it’s fantastic.”

The Italian who won silver at the Albertville Games was Alberto Tomba, who is now Razzoli’s coach.

“It’s an amazing day,” Tomba said. “He won a gold medal and it’s great.

“He lives close to my house. He was first in Zagreb, then first in Kranjsak Gora but went out in the second run.

“So he came here in great shape. I told him to keep quiet and keep focused.

“Watching the slalom in the finish area is unbelieveable. Now I can imagine what it’s like for parents. He’s like a son to me.”

Kostelic, who also claimed silver in the super-combined, said the snow conditions had been to his liking.

“I really like to ski in these conditions,” he said. “It’s spring snow, but we always train in this kind of weather.

“This result means, realistically speaking, that I had two chances for medal in the super-combined and slalom and I took both.”

Myhrer, who finished fourth in the slalom at the Turin Games four years ago, said: “The slope was okay, but there was a track and I tried to stay in it.

“I’m really happy with the medal. It has been a huge goal for me, my whole life to take an Olympic medal, and it’s an amazing feeling to get one.”

With Raich in fourth at 0.49sec, team-mate Marcel Hirscher was next at 0.49sec.

Slovenian Mitja Valencic, who was second after the first run, lost his speed in mid-course and finished in sixth at 1.03sec.

In poor visibility and heavy rain, the course claimed a number of high-profile casualties, notably Austria’s reigning world champion Manfred Pranger and American Bode Miller among 47 who did not finish the first leg.

American duo Ted Ligety and Miller also skied out, the latter after only three gates to bring his Olympic Games to a sad end after he had won super-combined gold, super-G silver and downhill bronze.

If Miller had medalled he would have become the first skier to have won medals in all five disciplines, but it was not to be as later racers were hampered by deteriorating visibility in thick fog.

But the 32-year-old American said he would leave the Games pleased with his three-medal haul.

“I’m 100 percent pleased. It couldn’t be better,” he said.

“Slalom’s always had a special place for me. I skied it well in the super-combined and it won me gold. And it’s the Olympic medal I don’t have.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Canada won the men’s speed-skating team pursuit gold medal on Saturday.

The United States took silver with the Netherlands claiming bronze.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver, BC ― Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic and Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette were named the joint recipients today of the Vancouver 2010 Terry Fox Award, named after the legendary young amputee runner who continues to touch the hearts of Canadians three decades after his ambitious cross-country run to find a cure for cancer. 

The award, created in late 2009 by the Fox family and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), is in honour of athlete(s) who embody the same values that Fox did ― who are the epitome of determination in motion, who pushed on no matter what the pain or obstacles in their path and inspired Canada and the world by displaying humility and selflessness in their treatment of others both on and off the field of play at the Olympic Winter Games.

“Few people have touched the soul of this great nation like Terry Fox did on his Marathon of Hope in 1980. In honour of his spirit we created this award with the Fox family ― one which we’re proud to present today to Petra and Joannie,” said VANOC CEO John Furlong.

“Petra showed true grit when she picked herself up and stayed on to compete at Whistler Olympic Park in the women’s sprint classic after sustaining an injury while warming up on the course. She performed in pain knowing her country and family were counting on her to win Slovenia’s first medal at the Games ― and she did with a bronze medal finish.”

“Joannie also touched all of us this week with her determination to push on and compete here at Canada’s Games even as she struggled with the painful sudden loss of her mother, Thérèse. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when she took to the ice on Tuesday after her mother’s death. We all held our breath and willed her on as she gave a remarkable, dignified performance ― one that helped her earn bronze. Her grief, determination and her grace have touched all of us.”

“Both women are an inspiration to all of us and have provided us with unforgettable performances at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” continued Furlong.

Both women have a long list of athletic achievements to their credit excelling in national and international competition. Majdic is the first Slovenian cross-country skier to win a medal at an Olympic Games. Rochette is the first Canadian female figure skater to win an Olympic medal since Elizabeth Manley in 1988 in Calgary.

Majdic, a 30-year-old from Slovenia and Rochette, a 24-year-old from Ile Dupas, Que., were selected by a small panel comprised of a member of the Fox family, Terry’s brother Darrell, as well as CTV sportscaster Brian Williams, Olympic silver medallist in athletics and VANOC board member Charmaine Crooks, and Tricia Smith, Olympic silver medallist in rowing, vice president of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and an honorary Olympic mayor of the athletes’ village in Vancouver.

“We are so pleased to see this award, named in honour of Terry, go towards Petra and Joannie, athletes who embody many of the same qualities he did as he pushed himself day after day towards his goal of finding a cure for cancer,” said Betty Fox. “This year marks the 30th anniversary of my son’s Marathon of Hope. Watching Petra and Joannie and their determination to carry on and triumph is something Canadians and the world will not forget. They represent the best of us and what we can accomplish ― just like Terry.”

The undulating awards are made out of nickel and wood and are inspired by the geography of Canada. They are also similar in style to the Vancouver 2010 medals presented at the Games.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic emblem and the name of the award in both official languages of Canada and the Olympic Games are etched onto the surface of the trays in the shape of a water drop — symbolizing the moment when Fox dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean to mark the beginning of his heroic journey in April 1980.

The reverse sides of the awards, revealing natural wood from the Western Yew, contain a graphic interpretationof Fox’s Marathon of Hope route. Wood from the yew tree was specially chosen for the award because a chemical found in its bark is currently undergoing research for cancer fighting properties.

The award also includes a quote from the Canadian hero: I want to set an example that will never be forgotten/J’aimerais donner un exemple qui ne sera jamais oublié.

One of the awards highlights the route Fox ran from St. John’s, NL, to Thunder Bay, ON, while the other features his planned route from Thunder Bay to Vancouver, BC.

About Terry Fox

On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox, of Port Coquitlam, BC, set out with little fanfare from St. John’s, NL, on an ambitious ―and at that time unheard of ― cross-country run to help raise funds for cancer research. The image of him running with a prosthetic leg, the result of a bone cancer diagnosis and amputation at age 18, made a deep and emotional impact on Canadians as he ran on his Marathon of Hope and they opened their hearts and their wallets for his cause.

After running 143 days and 5,373 kilometres through Atlantic Canada, Quebec and much of Ontario, his journey was cut short outside of Thunder Bay, ON, on September 1, 1980 when cancer appeared in his lungs. He passed away at the age 22 on June 28, 1981 but his dream lives on with annual Terry Fox Runs throughout Canada and internationally. To date, close to $500 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in his name and his journey has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. For more information, visit www.terryfox.org.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the 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. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Vancouver 2010

Venue will also host development and public program; complement Calgary sliding track

Whistler, BC ― The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL) and the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) today confirmed post-Games plans for The Whistler Sliding Centre, Olympic competition venue for luge, skeleton and bobsleigh. Top ranking Canadian sliding athletes in bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge gathered this morning at the Whistler Media Centre to express their support of Canada’s sliding sport facilities.

“I cannot express how proud I am to have won gold on our home track,” said Heather Moyse, 2010 Olympic gold medallist in women’s bobsleigh. “I’m very excited for future Canadian athletes to have the opportunity to train and compete at a world-class facility like The Whistler Sliding Centre.”

After the last four-man bobsleigh goes down the track this afternoon, the venue will begin its transition from Olympic mode into its post-Games legacy operations. Transition will take place June 1, after Games-time loadout. Headed by the Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies group, the venue will complement the sliding track at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, as a lasting legacy in the training of the Canadian national luge, bobsled and skeleton teams, as well as young aspiring sliding athletes through its junior programs and public initiatives.

“Ever since the bid, the goal for The Whistler Sliding Centre has been to thrive as a legacy for sliding sports post Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC’s executive vice president, sport and Games operations. “Having two sliding tracks in Canada, and now four in North America, is extremely important in growing these sports at home and abroad. We’re proud of the key role this venue has played in pre-Games training and competition, its Games time use, and we’re confident The Whistler Sliding Center will continue to flourish for years to come.”

“For the Canadian team, the best way to grow in the sliding sports is to train as much as possible, on tracks that will test the sliders’ skills and athleticism,” said Jeff Christie, a Canadian luge athlete. “Having two tracks in Canada now, and with the technical nature of The Whistler Sliding Centre, I am extremely optimistic about the future of Canadian sliding, and the growth of the sliding sports here in Canada, North America, and ultimately the world.”

The Whistler Sliding Centre will also continue to host the world’s top athletes at international competitions. Both international sporting federations are planning world up competitions in Whistler after 2010.

“The Whistler Sliding Centre will be one of the classic tracks on the FIBT World Cup circuit,” said FIBT president Robert Storey. “The FIBT fully intends to have annual world cups in Whistler along with development programs and junior circuit races in both bobsleigh and skeleton.”

Along with future international events in bobsleigh and skeleton, the FIL will also utilize the venue for luge training programs and world-class events. While looking ahead to the future of luge at The Whistler Sliding Centre, the federation continues to mourn the loss of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 21-year-old Georgian luger who died on February 12 after an accident during a training run.

“We will never forget the tragic loss of Nodar Kumaritashvili, and our thoughts continue to be with his friends, family and the sliding community,” said Svein Romstad, FIL’s secretary general. “I cannot think of a better way to honour Nodar’s spirit than to ensure that athletes of all ages and skill sets utilize The Whistler Sliding Centre and grow the sport of luge. The future of this track is bright and the FIL will continue to work closely with the FIBT, the Canadian Luge Association and Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies to foster a movement of sport that the world will be proud of.”

In addition to hosting high-performance athletes, The Whistler Sliding Centre will continue with several innovative grassroots programs in the community to grow future athletes and fans of the sliding sports. Since its inception, The Whistler Sliding Centre has hosted luge, skeleton and bobsleigh development programs, venue tours and passenger ride testing. These initiatives will continue when the venue begins its legacy phase.

British Columbia Luge Association (BCLA) Program:

• 10 local children, aged eight- to 14-years-old, slide three to four times per week
• 1,237 runs were taken by the participants, including three British Columbia Cup races and one NorAm youth race.
• The program also included seven on-ice recruitment camps, totalling 522 runs.

British Columbia Bobsleigh Skeleton Association (BCBSA) Program

• With 148 runs taken, including a driving school and five “Discover Skeleton” sessions (totalling 127 runs), the BCBSA Program introduced children to the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton.

Public Tours

• The Whistler Sliding Centre has hosted 2,500 public guided tours in the summer months, 6,500 public visits to the track during the winter months and a total of 35,000 public visits through tours and events in total.

Bobsleigh Passenger Ride Testing

• To begin testing the logistics of sending spectators down the track, the venue has run eight sessions of 41 sleds in total, whereby passengers were able to experience the exhilaration sliding athletes feel when manoeuvring the track.
• Similar to Calgary Olympic Park’s passenger program, The Whistler Sliding Centre will host spectator rides post-Games through the Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society. 

“We look forward to a vibrant future at the sliding centre in which high-performance athletes, young developing athletes, recreational sliders, and tourists all benefit from time spent on the ice of this exciting new sport facility,” said Keith Bennett, president and CEO of Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society. “The opportunity to help develop generations of future Olympic competitors and medallists lies ahead.”

Background on The Whistler Sliding Centre

The Whistler Sliding Center’s inaugural season of operations in 2007/2008 included 335 bobsled runs and 743 skeleton runs. In the 2008/2009 season, there were 2,153 bobsled runs and 3,290 skeleton runs on the track and in 2009/2010 to date there have been 5,336 bobsled and skeleton runs combined. In 2009, two international training weeks and one world cup event were held, hosting on average 17 nations (skeleton), 17 nations (men’s bobsled) and 13 nations (women’s bobsled). Leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, 30,477 runs were taken when combining all three sports.

About Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies

Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies (WSL2010) is a not-for-profit society that will own and operate three 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games venues after the conclusion of the Games ― Whistler Olympic Park, The Whistler Sliding Centre and the Whistler Athletes’ Centre. The organization’s mission is to operate its Olympic legacy venues to advance high performance sport development and recreational sport participation, in a manner that ensures economic, environmental and social sustainability. For more information, visit www.whistler2010sportlegacies.com.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the 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. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Sunday’s Olympic hockey final will renew the intense border-war rivalry between Canada and the United States, one that pits teammate against teammate and turns Hollywood heroes into box-office poison.

Canada’s National Hockey League stars booked a berth in the gold medal game Friday with a 3-2 victory over Slovakia while the Americans routed Finland 6-1 to set up the North American showdown for Olympic gold.

“It will be huge,” US forward Patrick Kane said. “That’s what everybody wants to see.”

US forward Ryan Kesler likes his chances against NHL Vancouver Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo, the Canadian goaltender who denied another Canucks teammate, Pavol Demitra, in the dying seconds to defeat Slovakia.

“He’s a great goaltender,” Kesler said. “I have a couple (ideas on how to beat him). I won’t tell you (what). It’s for a gold medal.”

“It’s always a great game when it’s the USA,” Luongo said. “We will have a lot of fun.”

A 5-3 victory in the preliminary round was the first by the Americans over Canada at the Olympics in 50 years, but it will take a repeat for the unbeaten US stars to claim their first Olympic crown since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”.

“It’s a pretty great rivalry game,” Canada star Sidney Crosby said. “The first game was very intense. I expect it at the same level if not more because we’re playing for a gold medal.”

US actor Vince Vaughn, wearing a USA jersey, found out how intense. He was jeered by a Canadian-filled crowd at the US victory when asked about a US-Canada matchup on the arena videoscreen.

“We already settled that once,” he said. “I like our chances.”

Canadians, who are 10-3-3 against US men in the Olympics, took Olympic gold in 2002 at Salt Lake City by beating the US men in the final and would love to repeat the feat on home ice, especially after the earlier loss.

“Definitely we wanted to play them again,” Canada goals leader Jarome Iginla said. “We know the rivalry is there. Now we have them again. It’s pretty exciting.”

The Americans have scored first in all five of their Olympic games and have never trailed but Canada has the highest-scoring offence in the tournament.

“We out-chanced them in the first game. We’ve got to keep doing the same thing,” Iginla said. “We’re finding more ways to score goals as the tournament goes on. We’re getting more chances.”

But Canada must solve the hottest Olympic goaltender in Ryan Miller, who stopped 42 shots in the US triumph over Canada, a victory that proved the Americans were a true title threat and that Canada needed some major changes.

“That definitely helped us. Maybe it even helped them, woke them up a little bit,” Miller said. “Maybe that game was the biggest game for both of us.”

Until the next one, that is.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Canada survived a tense final period before defeating Slovakia 3-2 on Friday to reach an Olympic Games gold medal hockey showdown with North American rival USA.

Brenden Morrow and Patrick Marleau scored first period goals for heavily-favoured Canada who will face the USA on Sunday in a rematch of the 2002 gold medal game in Salt Lake.

But they lived on their nerves in the closing moments as Slovakia laid siege to the Canada goal after clawing their way back from 3-0 down in the final period.

“It was close,” Canadian star Sidney Crosby said. “We expected them to be desperate. They didn’t have many chances but they made the most of them. We found a way to win.”

Most people imagined a Canada-Russia final in Vancouver and not Canada against fifth-ranked USA, who beat them 5-3 in the preliminary round.

“The two teams know each other so there won’t be any secrets,” Crosby said of the USA. “The first one was really emotion and this one should be more intense.”

Goaltender Roberto Luongo made 19 saves and Chris Pronger added two assists for Canada who have a tournament-leading 32 goals thanks in part to their 7-3 blowout of top seeded Russia in the quarter-finals.

Luongo, who has a home in Vancouver and plays for the NHL Canucks, had to make a number of game-saving stops in the final seconds with the score 3-2.

He was serenaded with chants of “Loouuuuuuu” each time he touched the puck or made a save.

Morrow and Marleau’s goals came just 1:47 apart in the first period for the winners while Ryan Getzlaf also scored for Canada

Lubomir Visnovsky and Michal Handzus scored in the third period for Slovakia who posted their best ever result at an Olympics and will now get a chance for a bronze on Saturday when they take on Finland.

Forward Marleau opened the scoring for Canada at 13:30 of the first by tipping a shot from defenceman Shea Weber past Slovak goalie Jaroslav Halak in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,799 at Canada Hockey Place arena.

Morrow scored on a similar play at 15:17 as he outbattled Slovak defenceman Visnovsky in front and deflected a Chris Pronger shot from the point in. The play went to review to see if Morrow’s stick was above the legal limit but the goal stood.

Getzlaf scored on a backhand from his knees on the power play in the second to give Canada a 3-0 lead. Getzlaf’s goal came with Slovak forward Richard Zednik serving a two minute penalty for holding the stick.

Visnovsky got the Slovak’s third period rally started by squeezing a shot between Luongo’s left pad and the post to cut the lead to two goals. Handzus batted a shot out of the air with just under five minutes left in the game to make it 3-2.

Pavol Demitra had the best chance to tie but Luongo denied him.

“I can’t believe he (Luongo) made that save, somehow I hit his glove,” said Pavol Demitra.

This marked the second meeting in Olympic hockey between Canada and Slovakia, who won the first game 3-1 in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

Slovakia was coming off an emotionally-charged upset of defending gold medal champion Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Their road to the semis also included a win over Russia in the preliminary round.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Canada’s Charles Hamelin won the men’s 500m short-track gold in a crash-marred final at the Vancouver Olympics Friday.

He was followed home by South Korea’s Sung Si-Baek and another Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay in third.

American Apolo Anton Ohno was disqualified for causing a pile-up around the final turn in the race.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Wang Meng won the 1,000-metre gold Friday to complete China’s sweep of the Olympic women’s short-track events at the Vancouver Games.

Wang, who timed 1:29.213, was followed home by American Katherine Reutter and South Korea’s Park Seung-Hi.

The fourth racer, China’s Zhou Yang, who broke the world record in the semi-finals, was disqualified.

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Vancouver 2010

Vancouver (AFP) – Canada won the men’s 5,000m short track relay gold medal at the Vancouver Games Friday.

Defending champions South Korea came in second with the United States third.

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Vancouver 2010