The View from Here: Vancouver in Search of a Story

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1 + THE BUSINESS OF THE OLYMPICS VANCOUVER VIEW - No.1 Vancouver: Rain. 10 c / 6 c - Whistler: Snow. 3 c / -1 c FEBRUARY 13, 2010 The View from Here: Vancouver in Search of a Story The question of the week ahead of the opening of the Vancouver Olympics - what will be the big story for the Games? With thousands of possible storylines at the start of every Olympics, choosing which ones will make Vancouver memorable is a tough call. After a week in the Olympic City, I would say weather is one of the early contenders. The may be Winter Olympics, but they could be the Games of Spring, what with the moderate temperatures, frequent rains and the bulbs popping out of the soil as if April was around the corner. Apologies to the icy charms of Lillehammer 1994, but it is much easier to move about an Olympic City with weather at 10c instead of minus 10 or more. In the mountains to the north, snow has fallen in most of the important places -- except the Cypress venue for snowboard and freestyle. This weekend s first events will tell whether the extraordinary efforts to truck in snow will pay off. Weather could create havoc for the alpine and Nordic events in Whistler, either fog or too much snow. When it does, Vancouver organizers will face the test of making changes and dealing with the movement of thousands of spectators back and forth along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. How this 100km stretch of road operates during the Olympics could determine whether transportation becomes a Vancouver story line. More than $600 million has been poured into the highway to make it a reliable connector between Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics. Will it work? How will media react to the long Richard Juilliart, the IOC s photographer, follows Jacques Rogge and the IOC at Olympic events. (ATR) Excitement and Olympic spirit on Day 1 of the Games. (Getty Images) journeys they will make to cover events in Whistler, six hours or so round trip? Doping, a dark side to the Games, stands in the shadows. We can only hope that greater chances than ever of getting caught deters a series of scandals in Vancouver. Is it a bad sign that a Russian women s hockey player has already received a reprimand? Good side: more than 30 athletes are said to have been kept from coming. For better, more glorious reasons, athletes should be the main story for any Games. There are some obvious candidates who will make the list to watch over the next two weeks: alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, figure skater Yu Na Kim. But the best story may come from Canada s athletes, one of whom may to become the first PHOTO OF THE DAY to win a gold medal on home soil, an honor denied in Montreal and Calgary. Some projections pick Canada to lead the medals table, which could be the greatest influence on how these Games are perceived around the world. A medal charge by athletes under the Maple Leaf would generate a hometown buzz for that hasn t been felt for some time around a Winter Olympic Games. It means venues full of screaming fans and joyous athletes on the podium. Go Canada. That s our pick for the story of these Games. + ED HULA + WHISTLER MEDALS PLAZA - page 3 + WARM WINTER OLYMPICS - page 4 + USOC CHEF de MISSION- page 6

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3 Although more rain and relatively mild temperatures are forecast for Whistler s opening Olympic weekend, organizers still expect sold-out crowds for the nightly live entertainment and medal presentation ceremonies in the Medals Plaza. We re expecting an incredibly live atmosphere every evening during the Olympics, said Medals Plaza General Manager Chris Crowley. It will be a packed house every night. We ll be awarding a total of 213 medals, and we ll have 15 incredible live-music headliners to keep the crowd rocking the house. The medals plaza has been a long time coming. What was once a small forest on the edge of Whistler village -- referred to as Whistler s last urban forest and known simply as Lot 1/9 -- has been transformed into one of Whistler s Olympic legacies. The site was originally intended for the Paralympic Sledge Hockey Venue in The project garnered much controversy in Whistler s Olympic scheme. After sledge hockey was green-lighted for Vancouver, plans for an $18 million iconic outdoor skating rink for the Village came into view, but were dashed for financial reasons. Thinking Olympic Legacy for the future, Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) officials wanted to hold the medal ceremonies for all Whistler-based events in Whistler Village. Lot 1/9 was then stripped of its trees before VANOC WHISTLER MEDALS PLAZA ALIVE & READY German athletes at Whistler Olympic Villiage. (Getty Images) officials dashed the plans due to financial concerns relating to the recession. After going through more twists and turns than a luge track, the project was given the go-ahead and the $13.67 million site is now finally ready to welcome the world to Whistler. Everybody involved in the Celebration Plaza project worked extremely hard to meet the deadline, says Crowley. It looks fabulous and is going to be an incredibly impressive venue, especially when the athletes step up to the podium to receive their medals. The Whistler-based medals presentations also ensure Games broadcasters will televise the nightly medals ceremonies and pump up Whistler s profile. On Saturday evening, ticket-holders will see live medal presentations in the Men s Downhill skiing, ski jumping (individual normal hill) and women s biathlon (7.5-kilometre sprint). Musical guests All American Rejects, coming off of a sold-out world tour, will entertain the estimated 5,000+ crowd in attendance. On Valentine s Day, live medal presentations in ladies alpine skiing (super combined), as well as men s Nordic combined (individual normal hill) and biathlon (10-km sprint). Singer/songwriter/producer/rapper Estelle Swaray will headline the musical entertainment.+ TODD LAWSON AROUND THE RINGS EXECUTIVE Ed Hula - Founder, Editor Sheila Scott Hula - Publisher Peter Lewman - COO Mark Bisson - European Editor CORRESPONDENTS Bob Mackin - Vancouver Todd Lawson - Whistler Karen Rosen - The Americas Anthony Stavrinos - Oceania James Corbett - Europe PUBLICATIONS & NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR Tristan Luciotti EDITORIAL Edward Hula III - Reporter Sam Steinberg - Writer Isia Reaves - Writer BUSINESS Cathy Herman - Accounting Manager Rui Kang - Accounting Asst. Janice McDonald - Special Projects Kathy Kuczka - Circulation Director AROUND THE RINGS (ISSN ) World Football Insider CONTACT 1776 Peachtree Street Suite 436 North Atlanta, GA USA PHONE FAX ADVERTISING Ads@aroundtherings.com SUBSCRIBE TO ATR SAVE 15% USE PROMO CODE: 2010WOG Go to AroundTheRings.com Click SUBSCRIBE (Getty Images)

4 WARM WINTER OLYMPICS GAMES WEATHER FORECAST Vancouver and Whistler are in store for warm weather throughout the 2010 Winter Olympics, according to forecasts through the end of the month. In Vancouver forecasts indicate an average high temperature of 10c and average low temperature of 5c during the Games. For the opening days of the Games this weekend, rain with an average high temperature of 10c and average low temperature of 6c is predicted. Longer term, sunny skies with few clouds and a slight chance of rain are expected through Feb 21. Forecasts show an average high temperature of 9c and average low temperatures of 4c. Whistler Outlook Forecasts call for show an average high temperature of 3c and average low temperature of 0c during the Games. Forecasts show rain and snow for Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. Mostly sunshine with few clouds is predicted for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. Not much variation in predicted high and low temperatures through the week.+ -ISIA REAVES Warm weather forced officals to bring snow from Allison Pass to Cypress mountain venues. (Getty Images)

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6 USOC CHEF de MISSION: I Do This for a Living Mike Plant put the U.S. Olympic Committee staff on notice as soon as he was named chef de mission for the Vancouver Games. I said, Hey look, there s going to be a difference between me and probably any other chef that you ve had in here: I do this for a living, he tells Around the Rings. (Getty Images) Rather than quaking in their ski boots, Plant says of the staff, There was a big sigh of relief. Plant has been president of the Goodwill Games, an international event that included many Olympic sports; organized the first cycling stage race in China and is now Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Atlanta Braves baseball team, as well as a member of the USOC Board of Directors and a member of the management committee of the international cycling federation. Plant says he told the USOC staff: I don t want you wasting a second of your time thinking that you ve got to educate me about what you re doing, because I m not going to waste my time worrying about all the logistical infrastructure or planning when we look at meals, wheels, pillows, as I call it in the event business. I already know they re making all those arrangements based on a good, solid blueprint that we ve used a number of Games. We re one of the best NOCs in the world at this. The USOC staff also didn t have to bring Plant up to speed on who s who at the Games. While the experience of the Beijing chef de mission, Judge Charles Lee, was confined to serving as envoy to the Chinese team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Plant already knows most of the movers and shakers in the Olympic Movement. That s where I see my value - with doping issues, athlete issues, referee/judging issues, he says. I understand how to deal with crisis. Plant says that the Olympians, like the Atlanta Braves baseball players, understand that I m not just a suit. They know that I was an athlete and that I had a certain level of success at an elite level, he says. I ve been in the trenches. This will be Plant s 15th Olympics. Although he made the speedskating team in 1980, he didn t get to skate in the Olympics. In Albertville, Plant was chair of the athletes group and had to avert a potential disaster. Cross country skier Bill Koch, who had been elected flag bearer in a close vote over speedskater Dan Jansen, made it known he was thinking about dipping the U.S. flag toward the dignitaries box. Since 1908 and the legend surrounding shot-putter Ralph Rose ( This flag dips for no earthly king ), the U.S. flag has never been dipped at the Olympics. I said, I don t think that s his choice, Plant says. You re representing this organization, the U.S. Olympic team, you follow protocol. Koch capitulated, but Plant wanted to make sure he understood one thing as they marched in the Opening Ceremony: I ll be right behind you. + KAREN ROSEN Inspiring Communication The London 2012 bid had it. Rio 2016 had it. Rugby s Sevens campaign had it. And we re proud to have worked on all three... Now, as the countdown to London intensifies, Seven46 is on-hand to help bring your story alive in one of the world s greatest cities. We create inspiring content for brands, campaigns and federations, helping you to build relationships and deliver lasting results. Contact: Nick Varley, Editorial Director nick.varley@seven46.com Editorial Design Production

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