Time to start thinking tickets; Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games detailed schedules released

Aug 1, 2008

Full hourly schedules available at vancouver2010.com

Beijing, China — Enthusiasts of the 2010 Winter Games can further plan the experience of a lifetime with today’s release of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games detailed competition schedules — hourly accounts of the sport activities taking place over the 17 days of Olympic competition and 10 days of Paralympic competition in 2010.

Today’s announcement by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) stems from the approval of the hourly Olympic Winter Games Competition Schedule by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Beijing, China. The hourly Paralympic Winter Games Competition Schedule was approved by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2007. With both schedules now approved and available at www.vancouver2010.com, and just about two months remaining until tickets to the Olympic Winter Games go on sale, on October 3, the picture just got much clearer for those planning to attend the Games in 2010.

Notable schedule highlights include: the Opening Ceremony which will launch the XXI Olympic Winter Games, at 6:00 pm on February 12, 2010, at BC Place; the final sport event of the Olympic Winter Games, the men’s gold medal hockey game, on February 28, at 12:15 pm at General Motors Place; the first Paralympic sport event, on March 13, when the men’s and ladies’ alpine skiing competitions begin at 9:30 am at Whistler Creekside; and the final Paralympic sport event on March 21, the men’s and ladies’ one-kilometre sprint finals in cross-country skiing, beginning at 12:00 pm at Whistler Paralympic Park.

“This is a major milestone we can share with our sport and broadcast partners who worked closely with us to develop a balanced Games schedule that satisfies the respective International Sport Federations (IFs), television audiences around the world and spectators who will attend the Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC’s executive vice president, Sport and Games Operations.

“As with all Games, the schedule will maintain a degree of flexibility in timing. However, now that the overall schedule has been refined, we know it will be of great interest to spectators so they can plan their activities. But it’s also a key planning document for others. Broadcasters and service providers can begin to hone their plans for 2010. Our team can start finalizing all crucial systems to ensure an exemplary experience for all. And,

perhaps most importantly, the world’s greatest winter athletes can further develop their game plans as they prepare to perform on the world’s largest stage in 2010.”

With nine competition venues, 12 stadiums, seven sports, 15 disciplines, 86 medal events for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 64 medal events for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, producing the hourly competition schedules has been a highly complex endeavour. The hourly competition schedules released today were built on the schedules announced by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in December 2007, which underwent eight subsequent revisions. Seven IFs were consulted, overseeing 15 Olympic disciplines and 86 Olympic medal events. Two Paralympic IFs were consulted, overseeing five sports and 64 Paralympic medal events. Contingency plans for adverse weather conditions, event sequencing (to allow recovery time for athletes in more than one event), venue operational considerations and complex broadcast logistics (including balancing live global coverage of simultaneous events at different venues) all had to be built into the schedules.

Notable highlights of the hourly 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games schedules:

Olympic Winter Games: 

• Opening Ceremony: Day 1, Friday, February 12, 2010, 18:00–21:00 (BC Place and Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza) 
• Closing Ceremony: Day 17, Sunday, February 28, 2010, 17:30–20:00 (BC Place and Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza) 
• First event — ski jumping men’s normal hill individual qualification: Day 1, Friday, February 12, 2010, 10:00–11:00 (Whistler Olympic Park) 
• Final event — ice hockey, men’s gold medal game: Day 17, Sunday, February 28, 2010, 12:15–14:45, (General Motors Place)

Paralympic Winter Games: 

• First event — alpine skiing, men’s/ladies’ downhill: Day 2, Saturday, March 13, 2010, 09:30–12:00 (Whistler Creekside) 
• Final event — cross-country skiing, men’s/ladies’ one-kilometre sprint finals: Day 10, Sunday, March 21, 2010, 12:00–14:00 (Whistler Paralympic Park)

Additional items discussed with the IOC Executive Board included: 

• Vancouver 2010 accreditation entry procedures, relating to use of the Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card 
• Workforce uniform designs 
• Elements of the Vancouver 2010 Rate Card catalogue

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

ContactVANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com