January 5, 2008 (Whistler, BC) – With the Canadian National Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships underway at Whistler Olympic Park, the ski jump facilities at the venue for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have met the expectations of North America’s best jumpers.

“The ski jump was awesome and the view from the top is really perfect,” said Zoya Lynch, member of Canada’s national ski jumping team. “This is a great location and the hill was prepared well.”

“The facilities at Whistler Olympic Park are perfect for training and competition of Nordic combined athletes given the proximity of the cross-country ski trails to the jumping hills,” said Walt Savill, director of operations with Nordic Combined Ski Canada. “The past week of training and competition here has certainly surpassed our expectations and we anticipate this being a major training facility for us.”

Athletes began training on December 28, when a total of 24 men and women on Canada’s national ski jumping and Nordic combined teams took the first test jumps on the new venue. Training continued daily until January 1, with the athletes completing more than 2,000 jumps prior to the start of the first official competition. The North American Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Junior Championships were held on January 2-3, while the Canadian National Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships, with over 60 athletes competing from the US and Canada, are scheduled to be completed by Saturday, January 5. These events will determine the top male and female junior ski jumpers and Nordic combined junior skiers in North America, and the top overall male and female ski jumping and Nordic combined athletes in Canada.

Over the course of the first week, feedback from coaches and athletes has focused on the design of the new ski jump facilities that have incorporated several critical sport-specific considerations, including:

– stable and consistent wind conditions, which are required for optimal performance
– three systems to ensure consistent in-run track surface conditions, including a world class in-run track setting system, a snow refrigeration system and a track covering system
– a dedicated chairlift, providing athletes and coaches with quick and easy access to the jumps

Despite severe wind advisories for most of the BC Coastal Region this week, wind conditions at Whistler Olympic Park were calm and consistent. Heavy snow conditions all week resulted in the successful use of the mechanical track covering system on the in-run. These weather conditions also resulted in the postponement of Thursday’s team competition due to accumulated snow on the out-run; the postponed team competition is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 5. The refrigeration system, which freezes the in-run tracks, was activated on the Large Hill today, allowing for jumping despite heavy snowfall. The dedicated chairlift is providing athletes with a six-minute turnaround between the jumps of individual skiers, ensuring maximum use of the jumps as an efficient training facility for the National Team.

“The first days of use at any new venue are a learning opportunity. Every day we delivered a world-class venue and gained more practical experience to enhance the operations and athlete experience,” said John Heilig, manager for ski jumping and Nordic combined with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Despite the postponement of the team competition on Thursday, overall we are very satisfied with our first full week of operations.”

Added Heilig, “These first events staged on the ski jumps at Whistler Olympic Park also provided volunteers from Nordic Combined Ski Canada (NCSC), Ski Jumping Canada and the Callaghan Valley Local Organizing Committee (CALOC) with the opportunity to work together and share best practices. Interest and awareness of these sports is growing, and we look forward to building a strong volunteer base to support the venue. The expertise gained by volunteers from events such as these and others in the coming years, will greatly contribute to the success of the 2010 Winter Games.”

“As we expected, Whistler Olympic Park is proving to be a valuable training facility, not only for men, but also for young women ski jumpers as they further develop their sport to successfully meet criteria for IOC [International Olympic Committee] consideration for future Olympic Winter Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC’s executive vice president, Sport, Paralympic Games and Venue Management. “We know the women jumpers have their sights set on competing in the Games someday – and we are pleased to contribute to the development of their sport, with hopes for inclusion at future Olympic Winter Games.”

All three stadia at Whistler Olympic Park (cross-country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping) are now open and available for athlete training and competition, meeting VANOC’s commitment to complete the venues two years before the Games. In addition, the Whistler Olympic Park cross-country ski trails are proving popular for recreational use; an estimated 5,000 recreational skiers have used the trails since they opened on December 15. “Whistler Olympic Park is now meeting both the training and competition needs of all Nordic athletes, and offering a challenging and spectacularly scenic new venue for cross-country ski enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels,” said John Aalberg, VANOC’s director for Whistler Olympic Park.

Upcoming events to be staged at the ski jumps at Whistler Olympic Park include:

– 2008 02-03 – FIS Cup Ski Jumping (5-8 countries)
– 2008 02 27-28 – FIS Cup Ski Jumping (5-8 countries)
– 2008 03 1-2 – FIS Continental Cup Ski Jumping (12-16 countries)

During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the ski jumping competitions start on February 12 and continue through February 22, while the Nordic combined competitions run from February 14 through February 25. Tickets for the ski jumping are priced between $80 and $120 while tickets for the Nordic combined events are priced between $50 and $120. Additional information on ski jumping and Nordic combined can be found at www.vancouver2010.com while details on operations at Whistler Olympic Park are available at www.whistlerolympicpark.com.