As Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler will be home to the Nordic, sliding and alpine sports, as well as an extensive Games entertainment program.  It will also host many media, international sports federations and spectators.  New and existing venues will be in place to ensure Whistler offers the best possible experience in its sport, culture and hosting programs.

The Nordic and sliding events will be held in Whistler at two new facilities completed in December 2007: Whistler Olympic Park (biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and ski jumping events) and The Whistler Sliding Centre (host bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events).  Whistler Creekside on Whistler Mountain, which has hosted World Cup alpine skiing races in the past, has also been updated for the 2010 Games.  For more information on The Whistler Sliding Centre, please visit www.whistlerslidingcentre.com .  For more information on Whistler Olympic Park, please visit www.whistlerolympicpark.com .

The athlete village and athlete centre are currently under construction at the south end of the Resort Municipality of Whistler across the highway from Function Junction.  The “village” will provide an outstanding setting for visiting athletes and officials in 2010.  Post Games, it will be become a residential neighbourhood, as well as a training and resident facility for athletes.

The Whistler Broadcast and Press Centre for the Games will be located in the Whistler Conference Centre, which is located within 17 kilometres of all Whistler competition venues.

A new Whistler Celebration Plaza in the heart of Whistler Village will be home to nightly medals ceremonies, spectacular entertainment and the Closing Ceremony for the Paralympic Games.  Construction begins in 2008 for the new plaza centrally located in Whistler Village on Lots 1 and 9, the four-acre area bordered by Blackcomb Way, the Village Stroll and Marketplace Lodge.

Whistler’s Neighbourhood of Nations is envisioned to be a group of national houses, country pavilions typical to an Olympic Games environment, temporarily located along Fitzsimmons Creek greenway during the Games. The neighbourhood would be the setting for broadcasting, a venue for expositions and the place to celebrate a nation’s Olympic and Paralympic participation. As part of the commitment to stage sustainable Games, national houses would be adapted and moved for use post-Games in Whistler as a lasting legacy for community uses.


THE PARALYMPIC GAMES
The Paralympic Games are the highest level of competition for elite athletes with a disability. Only athletes with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities compete at the Paralympic Games. Canada is a world leader in advancing the interests of athletes with a disability.

Forty countries are expected to participate in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, scheduled for March including an estimated 600-800 athletes and 5,000-8,000 volunteers. The 10-day competition will take place in March 2010 following the Olympic Winter Games.

The Paralympic Winter Games sports are alpine, cross country skiing, sledge hockey, biathlon and wheelchair curling.

A volunteer work group, including the Whistler Adaptive Ski Program and the Whistler Sport Centre, along with six current and retired Paralympic athletes, are assisting in the planning of the Paralympic Winter Games.