Counting down to Olympic excitement

A snowboarder competes in a World Cup event a Cypress Mountain, which will host Olympic snowboard and freestyle skiing events.

NSO file photo
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By Grant Granger

There are 81 days to go before all eyes will be on British Columbia.

And it's been 2,440 from that memorable day – July 3, 2003 in Prague – when International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge opened up the envelope, paused and said, "Vancouver."

The Olympic dream is a special one, envisioned by athletes growing up. Living that dream in their home province is a whole other spectacular level.

Brother and sister Michael and Brett Janyk of West Vancouver will get to wear the Olympic rings as they ski the Whistler slopes they flew down as youngsters.

World class speedskater Denny Morrison, who first laced up the long blades in his hometown of Fort St. John, will be at the Richmond long-track speedskating oval where he's been training since it opened last year.

And pairs figure skater Craig Buntin of Kelowna has worked with several partners and lived in many cities across Canada during his career in pursuit of a place on the medal podium.

So far, there are 18 B.C. athletes confirmed as eligible to walk into BC Place behind the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies.

But as the Olympic Torch crosses the country – re-entering the province on Jan. 21 for a lap around B.C. in the final weeks – there are dozens still with a chance to participate, like 2007 world women's curling champion Kelly Scott and her team from Kelowna. They'll battle it out with seven other of Canada's best foursomes at the Olympic trials next month in Edmonton.

Red Deer has eight confirmed athletes, led by 1998 Olympic silver medal speedskater Jeremy Wotherspoon. Federal Way native Apolo Anton Ohno, a two-time gold medalist in short track speedskating, who has also won three other Olympic medals, heads the eight Washingtonians chosen to compete for the United States in what is almost their own backyard.

The opening ceremonies on Feb. 12 will be the first held indoors in Olympic history. With the B.C. Lions finished with the facility, work has begun on setting the stage for the big day.

The Vancouver Canucks will be sent packing on an eight-game road trip to make GM Place – which will have its named changed to Canada Hockey Place – available for the highly anticipated hockey competitions. The Vancouver Giants will move out of the Pacific Coliseum right after the New Year to make way for figure skating and short track speedskating.

The long-track oval has sat proudly on the banks of the Fraser River in Richmond, ready for Morrison and Wotherspoon to take on the world. The spanking new Vancouver Olympic Centre has had the final touches put to it for the curling.

The good news is Mother Nature has already blessed the mountains with snow. Even Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, where the freestyle skiers and snowboarders will strut their stuff, is already open with 100 centimetres of snow on its slopes. Whistler has more than 300 cm.

Down the road in the Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic Park opened to the public Nov. 21 so everyone can experience what the Olympic cross-country skiers, Nordic skiers, ski jumpers and Nordic combined competitors will encounter in February.

Bobsleighers, lugers and skeleton riders are stoked – the Whistler Sliding Centre track is the fastest in the world, with a maximum run of 1,450 metres and a vertical drop of 152 metres.

It's not quite time to say, "Let the Games begin," but it's ever closer.