The clock is clicking down to the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Canada has been buzzing about these games for the past few years and now Vancouver is the final rush to make sure everything is ready as they prepare to welcome the world. Vancouver was awarded these games over 5 years ago and has been making preparations ever since. This will be the second time Canada has played host to this spectacular event.
Held every fourth year, the Winter Games are an international spectacular. This season the Games will commence in the middle of February and stretch over 16 excitement filled days. One day one will be a moving and somber opening ceremony and on day 16 will be a fun and glitzy closing ceremony. The days in between will be filled with such events as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, bobsled, ice hockey, ski jumping, freestyle skiing, and speed skating..
The Vancouver Olympic Games will be held in the City of Vancouver as well as a number of different places around Vancouver. Vancouver is located on the Pacific Ocean in the lower mainland portion of the province of British Columbia. The other British Columbia towns and villages that will assist in hosting the Winter Games are Richmond, Whistler, and West Vancouver.
The first ever Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France in 1924. These were the first Games dedicated solely to athletic pursuits on snow and ice. Prior to these games, hockey and figure skating had included as events in the Summer Olympics. Since that time, the Games have been held every four years with the exception of 1940-48 due to World War II. From 1924 until 1992, the Winter Games and Summer Olympics were always held in the same year. In 1992, in an attempt for a larger audience, the Winter Games split from the Summer Games.
Fewer countries participate in the Winter Games than participate in the Summer Olympic Games. As a result the Winter Games tend to be hosted by repeat countries. Seven countries in total have already hosted a combined 17 Winter Olympic Games with France and the United States hosting 7 Games between them. After Vancouver, the next Winter Olympics will be hosted by Russia. This will be Russia’s first time to host the Winter Olympic Games.
In anticipation of the Vancouver Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Association developed a program with the lofty goal of Canadian athletes achieving more Olympic medals than ever before. This program has been called “Own the Podium” and has been in effect over the past number of years. The results of this program will be seen at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
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