The 2010 TransRockies mountain bike events have recently been granted S2 status by the International Cycling Union (UCI). This makes the TR and TR3 only the second mountain bike stage race in North America to gain this status.

S2 status means that elite riders who race in the events can gain world ranking points that count towards competing for national team places and ultimately the 2012 Olympic games in London. A total of 2500 UCI points will be up for offer and are expected to attract top riders from around the continent.

For more information on the TransRockies mountain bike events please visit http://www.transrockies.com/.

The 2010 Winter Olympics have official begun and to help celebrate this momentous occasion Club Fat Ass is organizing a challenge to share your run with someone who is in town for the Olympics.

The basic idea behind this challenge is simply to go for a run with someone who is not from Vancouver. And in order to entice such events a number of prizes have been proposed including a missionary award for the person who takes the most visitors out for a run, and a most off-the-wall run award for the most eventful run.

Interested in hosting such a run or are you a visitor looking for a local guide? Challenge details can be found on the Club Fat Ass website here.

Happy Running!

Olympic fans can virtually ski the runs of Whistler-Blackcomb, take a run on the bobsleigh course

BY GILLIAN SHAW, VANCOUVER SUNFEBRUARY 10, 2010

Google Street View has taken to the slopes with the launch Tuesday of Google Snow View, taking viewers on a virtual tour of Whistler-Blackcomb and the Olympic runs.

With the Google Street View camera mounted on the back of a snowmobile, photographers toured the runs of the ski resort, capturing images that are being shown on Google’s newly launched website for the 2010 Olympic Games, google.com/games10.

(more…)

We’ve recently posted information on a number of new iPhone applications but the Official Mobile Spectator Guide from Bell probably seems most relevant given the Vancouver Olympic Games begin in just a few days time.

The new application, which is available from iTunes, lists all sports and cultural events by type of event, venue and date, and also provides directions to events along with times.

In addition the app provides news feeds, medal counts by country, and list official twitter accounts or participating organizations.

Best of all it’s free!

For more information on the app click here or search for “2010 Guide” within the iTunes store.

On February 12, the world will gather to watch top athletes from around the globe compete in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and for the first time ever a large number of international teams will be competing in our province.

Among that group is Team USA, our closest neighbor. Because of this trainharder would like to let you know how to best access the latest info and receive exclusive updates from the team.

Click here to experience the insider’s view of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver from Team USA’s perspective, and stay tuned as we will be providing information on how to best keep up to date with Team Canada…

CBC Radio has recently interviewed 5-time Olympian Clara Hughes, who just on Friday was named flag bearer for Team Canada at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

In the interview Clara reflects on her career as an Olympian, her love-hate relationship with ice and how athletes can make a difference even during times of disaster.

The interview is available as a podcast below. Just right-click on the link to download.

Right click to Download 25/01/10: Pt 3 – Clara Hughes

[mp3 file: runs 26:51]

From CBC News -

Thirty-five B.C. athletes have been named to the Canadian team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“On behalf of all British Columbians, congratulations to all of these elite athletes for being part of Canada’s Olympic team,” B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said at a ceremony in Richmond Friday.

“Drawn from communities across our province, you represent the strength of spirit and determination of all the people of B.C.”

Continue reading…

If you haven’t got tickets yet to any of the 2010 event you may want to continue reading this post. Starting this Friday, December 11 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) VANOC will be releasing a limited amount of tickets for two upcoming events:

1. Figure Skating Training Sessions
   Watch the world’s best figure skating athletes practice at the Pacific Coliseum before they go head-to-head in competition. Tickets are $30.
2. Paralympic Closing Ceremony
   This unique, large-scale celebration will celebrate the world’s greatest Paralympic athletes while capturing the spirit and personality of Whistler, British Columbia and Canada. The Paralympic Closing Ceremony will take place on March 21, 2010 at Whistler Medals Plaza, a beautiful outdoor venue in the heart of Whistler. Tickets are only $60*, while supplies last.

Tickets will be available online at vancouver2010.com by phone at 1.800.TICKETS (1.800.842.5387), or in person at the Main Ticket Centres in Vancouver and Whistler.

Visitors hoping to purchase Olympic and Paralympic tickets last Saturday were not able to access the site as previously planned and as a result, the Vancouver Organizing Committee made the decision to delay the start of Phase 3 ticket sales to this Saturday, November 14 at 10am Pacific Time.

To check ticket availability and to purchase tickets visit www.vancouver2010.com.

The final phase of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games tickets will go on sale this Saturday November 7 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time).

More than 100,000 tickets will be available to most events. To purchase visit vancouver2010.com/tickets. Note that only VISA is accepted.

From CBC News -

The Olympic torch relay will kick off in B.C. next October. (VANOC)

Vancouver Olympic organizers unveiled Friday morning the route the Olympic torch relay will take through more than a thousand Canadian communities beginning next year, from Victoria to the Far North to Newfoundland.

The event is scheduled to kick off in Victoria next October at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway and from there, will travel nearly 10,000 kilometres through the province.

The relay will spend a total of 27 days on the West Coast and will include stops in picturesque Tofino, the Kootenay Pass —where it will reach its highest point, at 1,770 metres — and B.C.’s wine country.

Following its start in Victoria next year, the torch relay will head to the Far North, to within 900 kilometres of the North Pole. It will then make its way to North America’s eastern tip, at Cape Spear near St. John’s, and then head westward, across Canada.

(more…)

From the Globe and Mail – Blogs were buzzing over the weekend, as successful Olympic ticket applicants crowed over their prizes.

“Got Canada v. USA mens hockey tickets and I could not be any happier” said one.

“We filled in some gaps in our Olympic tickets….The BIGGEST pickup is certainly the Canada vs. USA preliminary round hockey game,” wrote Toronto blogger Todd Warnell.

Trumpeted Steph, another happy customer: “I’m going to the Olympics” She managed to order tickets for two Canadian hockey matches, the women against Sweden and the men’s preliminary contest against Switzerland. “This is honestly one of my biggest dreams come true I’m so excited, I haven’t stopped smiling all day, and I can’t possibly sit still”

Continue reading…

In case you missed out during phase 1:

Phase 2 Olympic tickets go on sale Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time). Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Save yourself time on June 6 by following these helpful hints:

Timesaving Tips

1. Know your Vancouver 2010 ticketing account — It may have been a while since you last signed in to your account. Re-familiarize yourself by using your registered e-mail address and password to sign in before June 6.
Sign in to your ticketing account now >>

(more…)

From CBC Sports:

Another 150,000 tickets for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler will go on sale on June 6, the Vancouver Organizing Committee announced on Friday.

Tickets for every sporting event, as well as the Opening, Closing and nightly Victory Ceremonies, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis online starting at 10 a.m. PT, said officials.

(more…)

The following press release courtesy of VANOC:

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and five sports (64 medal events) of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games go on sale today – May 6, 2009 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) on a first-come, first-served basis.

Big Experience, Small Price:
Individual ticket prices to sport events start at $15. Group ticket prices — available for most sport events for groups of 20 or more people — are just $10. Tickets for the spectacular Opening Ceremony range from $30 to $175!

How to buy your Paralympic tickets:

(more…)

Written by Rod Mickleburgh and published April 2nd, 2009 in the Globe and Mail:

Organizers for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games have recently put the call out for volunteers interesting in participating in the opening, closing and nightly victory ceremonies.

They are looking for people of all skill levels and abilities, and previous production or performing experience is not required.

Volunteers will also be expected to log over 100 hours of rehearsal and preparation time, with rehearsals to take place during weeknights and weekends starting in November and continuing through the December holiday period and up to and including the Games.

If interested you can visit the Vancouver 2010 website here for more information.

Whitfield is back in Canada and offers his take of Beijing and winning his  second Olympic medal. The following excerpt is courtesy of the Globe and Mail .

=================

Well that chapter is over, what a journey.

Four years ago Coach Joel and I set the goal to get back on the podium at the Olympic Games after what can only be described as a what-doesn’t-break-you-only- makes-you-stronger experience in Athens.

In 2005 Coach Joel assembled a squad that initially spent a year with 6 athletes jammed in one lane at Crystal Pool. We had very little funding, and of the original squad I think only Colin and I are left. The following year we were given another lane at Crystal. Kyle Jones, Dano Wells and Jordan Rapp joined us soon after and when Kirsten Sweetland came along our squad was rolling. We’ve had some other athletes come and go, all on good terms, it just didn’t always work out for one reason or another. At the start of 2008 Brent McMahon was training part time with us and found a way to contribute with his great work ethic and experience. Paul Tichelaar was commuting from Edmonton to train with us and Andrew Mac was crushing us in the pool much to his delight.  Eventually Olympian Lauren Groves also joined us.  It was with a mission statement built around "people will rise to the level of expectations" that Joel’s squad was (and will continue to be) world class.

Continue reading on globeandmail.com …

Last week most of us watched the Olympic men’s triathlon from the edge of our seats and saw Simon Whitfield come from behind to win a silver medal. We saw him fall back repeatedly from the leaders, then somehow manage to come back, and when we thought he was done, he tossed his hat and made one last, ditch effort. Amazing! Check out this YouTube video if you need a reminder.

Afterwards we all wondered what was going through his head during the race. A recent online interview on www.slowtwitch.com with Whitfield reveals a little of what he was thinking …

published at canada.com

BEIJING – Want to meet one of Gordon Lightfoot’s Rainy Day People?
Look no further than Gary Reed. Most runners wouldn’t exactly cherish the thought of having to run their Olympic 800-metre track semifinal in a downpour. No problem said a drenched Reed, who qualified for the 2008 Summer Games final to be held Saturday at the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

"It was just like being at home and running in the rain in Victoria," said Reed.
"I train and run in this stuff all year long."

Reed slipped through the rain drops to finish second in his race – one of three semifinals held Thursday – to qualify for the Olympic final by only 2/100ths of a second.

The top two from each of the semis, along with the runners with the two remaining fastest times, make up the eight-man final.

(more…)