If you are anything like me, your TV will be set to one channel and on 24/7 for the next 16 days. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia will begin this Friday, February 12, 2010 on all NBC channels and affiliates.
The world’s top athletes from over 80 nations will compete in 15 different sporting events from February 12- 28, in the Vancouver area. This year marks the third time Canada will host the Olympics Games, after the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal followed by the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
The Olympic games have been around about as long as recorded history itself. According to Olympic.org, the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC and were dedicated to the Olympian gods. They continued for nearly 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such “pagan cults” be banned. The Olympics were not held again until the late 19th century.
The Olympics is one of the most exciting and inspiring events the world will ever know. The world simultaneously stops and comes together to watch the triumph of the human spirit, the limits of the human body, and inevitably the drama and controversy of the games.
This year will not disappoint. While the winter games often aren’t as popular as the summer games, the appearance of US favorites like speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, women’s alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, and snowboarder Hannah Teter will draw huge audiences and support from their die hard fans hoping to see red white and blue on the podium.
A new sport will be introduced to the Winter Games this year too. Seven sports were proposed to the International Olympic Committee for inclusion, but ski cross was the only one that made the cut. Ski cross includes five skiers in a timed event that must maneuver around natural and artificial obstacles.
You can’t have the Winter Olympics without snow, and the snow fall has been a huge concern for Olympic officials. While officials are putting on a positive face for the public, they are transporting snow from the eastern mountains of British Columbia to Cypress to ensure enough coverage, which could still cause problems.
Either way, snow is not going to get in the way of the world’s toughest and most talented athletes competing side by side in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Tune in for all the highs, lows, triumphs and tragedies this year has in store.
For the full schedule of events and times, visit www.vancouver2010.com.
