Vancouver – The appeal of the 14 elite women ski jumpers proceeding against the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee for a declaration to be allowed to participate in the 2010 Olympic Games will be heard Nov. 12 and 13 in the BC Court of Appeal. According to the plaintiffs’ lawyer Ross Clark, Q.C., the argument he plans to put forward is simple and straightforward, focusing on the discrimination and the fact of VANOC being a government...
The Road to Whistler: Lindsey Dehlin By Nat Herz · August 8th, 2009 This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series The Road to Whistler Lindsey Dehlin is already a veteran of two Olympic Games, having been selected to the U.S. teams in 2002 and 2006. In 2008, Dehlin won her first national championship, in the team sprint [...]
The International Olympic Committee on Friday launched the bid process for hosting the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, setting a deadline of 15th October 2009 for national Olympic committees to inform it of applicant cities. Applicant cities will participate in the observer program at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver (CAN), ahead of the deadline for submission of application files on 15th March 2010. The IOC will confirm what bids have been accepted next June. Candidate cities will have until 11th January 2011...
The Whistler Question reports on the issue of home-fieled advantage at the 2010 Olympics. Whistler – Coach Geret Coyne and the Canadian biathlon team spend most of their time during the winter in Europe, living out of suitcases while competing on the World Cup circuit. Their European rivals are often just a few hours from home, and normally, the “home” teams gets plenty of perks beyond just having the home crowd on their side. So...
Three years ago USSA made the decision to support a fledging international US Women’s Jumping program, a risky decision given the stage of development of the sport on the world stage. But the move paid off when Lindsey Van won the first-ever Women’s Ski Jumping World Championship Gold Medal in Liberec this past winter. But now Van, and her US teammates are struggling to find funding after USSA decided not to name a US Women’s...
Recently Olympians Torin Koos and Lars Flora met with children from their home town of Bend, Oregon at the local Boys and Girls Club to share their Olympic experiences. KOHD News was there to capture the day for local Bend residents. You can watch their news story at the following link; Olympic Days by KOHD News
At just twenty years old, Canadian Alex Harvey had a breakout year in 2008-2009 with two World Cup podium finishes: third in the team sprint in Whistler, and another third in the 50 kilometer classic in Trondheim, Norway. FasterSkier caught up with him just after he finished his afternoon massage at a National Team camp in Canmore. FS: You’re out in Canmore right now training with the National Team. It seems like you have a...
The Toronto Star reports the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team will not have any perks from hosting the Olympics on home soil. On issues ranging from grinding machines to Olympic Trials, VANOC has turned down requests in the name of fairness. From the Toronto Star: Canada’s cross-country ski team has heard all the talk about home-field advantage for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They’re beginning to feel it’s nothing but talk. Dave Wood, team leader for the...
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced the formation of the White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport. This permanent White House office will promote the values of the Olympic Movement and encourage increased youth participation in athletics. The primary function of the Office will be to enhance awareness of the Olympic Movement through promotion of its fundamental principles at the federal level. President Obama said, “It is an important goal of my...
A number of high-tech innovations will be used at the Olympics – in some cases to add accuracy to scoring and timing, and in others, to enhance the spectator experience. Including: – A high-definition judges’ scoring system to be used in figure skating. – A high-definition video replay system to be used in short-track speed skating. – Global positioning technology to follow the progress of cross-country skiers. – RFID technology for ski-cross and snowboard-cross events....
The Canadian Globe and Mail recently profiled rising Canadian Star Alex Harvey. This was destined to be a summer of baby steps for Alex Harvey. At 20, coming off his first season on Canada’s national cross-country ski team, his Olympics were supposed to be more than four years away – Sochi 2014, not Vancouver-Whistler 2010. Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov were Canada’s best medal hopes among the men, while Harvey would be at the 2010...
The lawsuit brought by women ski jumpers in their attempt to gain inclusion on the 2010 Olympic Games began this week. Some updates follow. The Vancouver Sun report on the first day of the trial: Point out its flaws, but remember the IOC is tone deaf At this point the general consensus seems to be that the ruling will be in favor of the IOC and against the jumpers. The arguments boil down to whether...
In the run up to the Olympics, Universal Sports is doing a series of retrospectives. This week Joe Battaglia looks back at Italian Manuela DiCenta’s stormy career and great success at the Lillehammer Games. The article also includes a photo gallery of DiCenta from those games. If nothing else, the fashions of that era are worth checking out! Olympic Time Capsule: Manuela DiCenta’s Medal Haul by Joe Battaglia, Universal Sports Manuela Di Centa experienced all...
Every pre-Olympic year, World Cup events are held at the Olympic venues. This allows staff and volunteers to experience a full-fledged international event. Kinks can be worked out, and there is still plenty of time to make adjustments if need be. Additionally, it is on opportunity for athletes to become acquainted with the venue, and in the case of cross-country skiing, race on the Olympic courses. Canadian Nationals were held at Whistler Olympic Park last...
Jay Hakkinen changes with Tim Burke in the Mens Biathlon 4×7.5km Relay Final of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games. The two men hope to be part of the team that wins the first U.S. Olympic medal in the sport of biathlon in 2010. As the men’s 4×7.5-kilometer biathlon relay started at the 2006 Olympics, few could have guessed what would happen in the first leg of the race. American Jay Hakkinen skated into the...
Garrott Kuzzy first began ski racing in eighth grade in his hometown of Hayward, Wisconsin. Starting as a ski jumper and nordic combined athlete, his love of the cross country aspect of the sport won over. Early on he was exposed to the real world of nordic by his dad, Jim, who was a Worldloppet Master and took his young son first to watch and later to race in several of the historic European marathons....
Birthdate: July 19, 1980 Hometown: Leavenworth, WA Current Residence: Bend, Oregon Ski Club: Leavenworth Winter Sports Club (L.W.S.C.) Coach: Justin Wadsworth; US Ski Team Staff Serviceman: Oleg Raglino in Europe. Randy Gibbs domestically. Status on U.S. Ski Team: World Cup, 7th year Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 188 Best Results: European Cup Win in 2006, 3rd in World Cup in 2007, Two National Titles, Two Olympic Teams. Part of World Cup Red Group – top 30...
Birthdate: November 7, 1980 Hometown: New York City, NY/ Warren, Vermont Current Residence: Minneapolis, MN Ski Club: CXC Ski Team Height: 5’5″ Weight: 127 Best Results: 2008 US Nationals 5k Skate 1st, 2007 US Nationals Team Skate Sprint 1st, 37th Biathlon World Championships. Sponsors: CXC Team, Finn Sisu, Seeley Hills Ski Club, Salomon, Toko, Lake Express, Polar, Rudy Project, Becker Law, Tid Tech Ltd., American Birkebeiner, The Fix-Massage, St. Cloud State Human Performance Lab, Gear...
Birthdate: June 5, 1978 Hometown: Anchorage, AK Current Residence: Anchorage, AK Ski Club: APU Nordic Ski Center Height: 5’10” Weight: 151 lbs Best Results: 2006 Olympian, 2x National Champion Sponsors: Atomic, Swix, Toko, Skinny Raven Sports, Dedicated Athlete, Rudy Project, Altolab Website: jamessoutham.blogspot.com Full Interview When did you start ski racing, and what were some highlights of your young skiing career? I started as a freshman in high school after I got cut from the...
Birthdate: 5/13/1986 Hometown: Born in Bend, OR Current Residence: Sun Valley, ID Ski Club: Sun Valley Olympic Development Team Status on U.S. Ski Team: Continental Cup Team Height: 5’4″ Weight: 117lbs Best Results: Top 30 World Cup Finish last year, 11th U23 15K Skate, 2nd Place Nationals 2008 Sponsors: Fischer Skis, Alpina Boots, Swix Poles, Rudy Project eyewear Full Interview When did you start ski racing, and what were some highlights of your young skiing...