Vancouver (AFP) – Canada ensured it will finish its home Olympic Winter Games with more gold than anyone else Saturday as Italy’s Giuliano Razzoli won the slalom to condemn once-proud Austria to their worst men’s alpine showing since 1936. On the penultimate day of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, the Canadians had 13 gold after capturing three more Saturday
Whistler (AFP) – Norway’s Petter Northug won the men’s 50km cross country gold on Sunday, beating Germany’s Axel Teichmann in a two-up sprint. Teichmann won the silver and Johan Olsson of Sweden took the bronze. jd/dj10
Companies to provide highly prized tickets to Closing Ceremony of 2010 Olympic Winter Games Vancouver, BC ? Two hundred and fifty volunteers who worked tirelessly to help make the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games a success will be able to attend the spectacular Closing Ceremony tonight, thanks to a generous donation of tickets by Jet Set Sports and its affiliate company CoSport. The companies, which are Official Supporters of the 2010 Winter Games, made the announcement this morning with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) at the Main Press Centre (MPC) in downtown Vancouver. “We’re so pleased to help recognize the outstanding efforts of some of the more than 18,500 volunteers from across Canada and more than 50 countries at the Olympic Winter Games who have helped make this an international sporting event watched by millionsof spectators here and billions around the globe,” said Jet Set Sports company founder and CEO Sead Dizdarevic.
Vancouver, BC ? After 17 days of thrilling athletic competitions, amazing displays of sportsmanship and magical moments when lifelong dreams were finally realized on the podium, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will draw to their official close tonight. In looking back and celebrating the impact of Canada’s Games and the future of the Olympic Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) would like to share some of the initial statistics available. By the numbers: The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games February 12 to 28, 2010 17 days of thrilling competition and athletic accomplishments 15 sport disciplines 9 competition venues 3 Olympic training facilities 86 medal competitions 86 Victory Ceremonies (16 in-venue medal presentations, 25 at BC Place and 45 at Whistler Medals Plaza) 615 medals awarded 1,055 athlete bouquets presented 82 participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs) 6,500 athletes and team officials in total 2,632 registered athletes 50,000 workforce members for the Games, including paid, contractor and volunteers Of that total, 18,500 were volunteers; 6,500 volunteers will also work during the Paralympic Winter Games 25,000 workforce uniforms distributed 96,409 people accredited for the Games 10,800 media representatives: 7,000 rights holding broadcasters, 2,800 press reporters and photographers and non-rights holding broadcasters, as well as 1,000 host Olympic Broadcast Service (OBSV) personnel 3.5 billion worldwide television viewers are estimated to have tuned into the Games Olympic rights holding broadcasters have offered Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games coverage on more than 300 TV stations and on more than 100 websites worldwide 47 per cent more global television coverage of the Games than for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games This represents approximately 24,000 hours of coverage 50,000 hours of total broadcast hours of the Games across all media platforms around the world 6,000 hours of coverage worldwide on mobile platforms As of Day 15, 33.1 million Canadians (99 per cent) have watched coverage 27.7 million cumulative audience or CUME (meaning 82.7 per cent of Canadians) experienced the Games on February 27 through the platforms of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.
Vancouver (AFP) – Sidney Crosby scored the winner in overtime as Canada won the Olympic title Sunday, beating the United States 3-2 to become the first host nation to capture men’s hockey gold in 30 years.
Vancouver (AFP) – Defending Olympic women’s curling champions Sweden beat Canada 7-6 after a thrilling climax Friday, taking gold after forcing an extra end at the Vancouver Olympic Centre. Earlier, China took their first curling medal with a crushing 12-6 victory over Switzerland in the bronze medal match.
Whistler (AFP) – Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk won the ladies’ 30-kilometre cross-country skiing competition on Saturday after a photo-finish with Marit Bjoergen, then apologised to the Norwegian after accusing her of cheating. World champion Kowalczyk, who had accused her rival of using asthma medication to fuel her triple gold-medal triumph, came home in one hour 30min 33.7sec. Norway’s Bjoergen was just 0.3sec behind to claim silver while Finland’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen took bronze.
Vancouver (AFP) – Canadian veteran Jasey Jay Anderson rose to the challange and upset Austrian favourite Benjamin Karl to win the men’s snowboard parallel slalom gold on Saturday and spark more celebrations for the host country.
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. dj/mp
Vancouver(AFP) – Germany won the women’s speed-skating team pursuit gold medal on Saturday. Japan took silver with Poland claiming bronze. dj/mp