February 15, 2007 – Today I am pleased to share with you news that VANOC’s Nordic Sport team has expanded.

Three VANOC Sport Managers have recently been hired to lead the individual sport events at the Whistler Nordic Competition Venue in the Callaghan Valley – the only Olympic venue in history to host all the Nordic disciplines of cross- country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and Nordic combined. In addition, the teams’ certified lead officials and volunteers (the “Chiefs”) have been selected for each of the disciplines.

John Heilig, with extensive ski jumping expertise from the Calgary Olympic Park and CODA (Calgary Olympic Development Association), has been working as VANOC’s Sport Manager for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined since September, 2006 to assist in the detailed design of the 2010 Olympic Ski Jumps. His core team of ski jumping and Nordic combined “Chiefs” consists of:

Ski jumping:
– Ron Read, Calgary, AB
– Ian Mitchell, Calgary, AB
– Don Grady, Edmonton, AB
– Sarah Lynch, Calgary, AB
– Laura Read, Calgary, AB

Nordic combined:
– Mark Servold, Devon, AB
– Mark Rolseth, Edmonton, AB
– Nina Hooper- Reid, Calgary, AB
– Peadar O’Rian, Calgary, AB
– Walt Savill, Balzac, AB

Cross-Country:
Rob Bernhardt, with recent organizational responsibility for the successful 2006 Cross- Country World Cup in Vernon, BC has accepted the position as VANOC’s Cross-Country Sport Manager, and will start the job full- time in May, 2007. His core team of Cross- Country “Chiefs” consists of:
– Nancy Flood, Kamloops, BC
– Mark Blayney, Smithers, BC
– Denis Brown, Kelowna, BC
– Mike Edwards, Vernon, BC
– Ian Sibbald, Rossland, BC

Max Saenger, from Stockholm, Maine was recruited from the USA as one the foremost experts on biathlon event organization in North America. He has recently orchestrated the hosting of the 2004 Biathlon World Cup and the 2005 Biathlon Junior World Championship in Fort Kent and Presque Isle. Max will start his job as VANOC’s Sport Manager for Biathlon in May, 2007. His core team of Biathlon Chiefs consists of:

– Paul Collard, Vanderhoof, BC
– Graham Lindsey, Kingston, ON
– Marie Skinner, Quesnel, BC
– Berhard Voyer, Gatineau, QC
– Bruno St Onge, Ancienne- Lorette, QC
– Carol Hensley, Calgary, AB
– Noel Charchuk, Calgary, AB

The team of sport experts come from across Canada, supporting VANOC’s objective of making the events in 2010 “Canada’s Games”, while also securing a lasting legacy of regional Olympic expertise. These teams will work together during the pre- Games test and training events to form a comprehensive sport team of over 600 expert Nordic sport volunteers from around the country that will be responsible for running the “field of play” activities held at the Whistler Nordic Competition Venue in the Callaghan Valley during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic competitions.
Thank you,