Vancouver’s bid was praised from the beginning.
(CNN) — Vancouver has been awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics after a secret vote by International Olympic Committee members. The Canadians beat off bids from South Korea’s Pyeongchang and the Austrian city of Salzburg to win the right to stage the winter sports extravaganza after two rounds of voting. Salzburg was eliminated after placing last of the three candidates in the first round. Vancouver beat Pyeongchang in the second ballot.
Vancouver’s “Sea to Sky” bid had been praised early on by the IOC’s evaluation commission for its clear vision for the Olympics that would leave a good post-Games legacy. The early favourite, Vancouver stayed in front throughout to bring the Games to Canada for the first time since the 1988 Calgary Olympics. The three cities took turns presenting their bids for the last time as IOC members meet in Prague on Wednesday. Salzburg’s bid drew on Austria’s extensive experience in organizing international winter sporting events, including two Olympic Winter Games, in 1964 and 1976, both held in Innsbruck. Pyeongchang placed emphasis on the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, while Vancouver showcased the 1988 Winter Games in nearby Calgary.
“It’s nerve-wracking,” said ice hockey star Wayne Gretzky, who supported Canada’s bid. “You know you have a good presentation, you know you have a good situation going. On the other side of it you respect the competition, because you know that they have something great to offer.” The 21st Winter Games will take place in February 2010.
Eight cities initially put forward bids, including Andorra La Vella, Andorra; Bern, Switzerland; Harbin, China; Jaca, Spain, and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzigovina. Bern was selected as a finalist but pulled out last September after city officials rejected the Olympic financing plan. In its last major report on the bid cities issued in May, the IOC’s evaluation was very favorable to Vancouver and Salzburg. Environment was a major feature of the Canadian bid, which showcased the geography and culture of the Pacific Northwest.
Its television commercials featured members of the First Nations community, Canadian aboriginals, who were actively involved in the bid. Substantial government funding has been promised for venue construction and an upgrade of the Sea to Sky Highway linking Vancouver to Whistler, which would be used for the alpine skiing events. Nearly half of the 13 venues still need to be built, but for the first time in history, the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in an indoor stadium seating 55,000.
The next Olympics are the Summer Games in Athens, Greece in 2004; Winter Games in Turin, Italy in 2006; and Summer Games in Beijing in 2008.
