Winter Olympics Diary Day Six: This is the news - there is snow and the games go on

Vancouver Diary / Vince Shuley / 18 February 2010 / Leave a comment

Christine Nesbitt does her thing better than most and can land gold today

Vince Shuley is getting angry at incorrect media reports on the 2010 games and puts the record straight

The town of Whistler has always held the limelight of the ski industry. This is where all the pros ski, where they film movie segments and where they have the biggest ski event- the annual World Ski and Snowboard Festival. But it has not been until this year that the international mainstream media has turned to Vancouver and Whistler.

In the weeks leading up to the Games the media began to arrive and the hunt began for exciting and controversial news. A proposed auction for Whistler Blackcomb's parent company, Intrawest in mid-February, suddenly ushered rumours of the resort having to shut its doors during the Games. Broadcasts all over the world were saying how the Vancouver Olympics didn't have enough snow to run its events. This could not have been further from the truth. Yes, there is warm weather in Vancouver, but so there was in Calgary in '88. The show still went on.

It's infuriating to know that your town is getting bad press when the media publishes inaccurate reports. Even local Vancouver newspapers (whose reporters understandably spend most of their time in the city and know little about the winter sports industry) are riddled with incorrect statements.

Criticism of the Vancouver 2010 Games is fair play; just be sure you check your facts.
On a lighter note, the US has again demonstrated that they will "own the podium" this Winter Olympics, not Canada. Three gold, one silver and two bronze, not bad for the Americans.

Best Bet: Women's Speed Skating 1000m Gold Medal - Christine Nesbitt (CAN) @ [1.6]
Four for four on the World Cup circuit in the 1000m event this year this year with the fastest time so far at 1:13:36. The Dutch ladies will be on her heels but the home crowd should give her the edge.

Tags: Christine Nesbitt, Whistler, Winter Olympics