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Athlete medal presentations return to Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Celebration Plaza |
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April 7, 2009... Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Celebration Plaza will host athlete medal presentations during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), today confirmed that after an intensive and successful budget review, medal presentations for the Whistler-based events will take place at Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Celebration Plaza (WCP), along with nightly concerts.
During budget reviews in late December 2008,
against the backdrop of economic uncertainty, it was recommended the
medal presentations take place at the sport venues rather than at WCP
to help create a more efficient Games-time operating plan and
streamline the Games operating budget.
However, based on a
shared commitment to producing the best possible experience for
athletes, spectators, broadcasters and the Whistler community, and with
the assistance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), VANOC and
the RMOW worked together to find efficiencies, making it possible to
return the medal presentations to WCP.
Changes to the venue
scope include a more compact broadcast and power infrastructure,
increased efficiencies to venue operations and staffing and reductions
in the overall build-out of the venue. These changes will help minimize
budget implications and workforce requirements in addition to
increasing the synergies with the RMOW legacy plans for the site.
The revised $12.8 million Whistler Celebration Sites program, including medal presentations at the plaza site, now includes:
• $6.8 million from VANOC.
• $ 5.0 million from the Government of Canada
• $ 1.0 million from the RMOW
The
International Olympic Committee expressed its support for this
decision. “We are delighted that VANOC and the RMOW have found a way to
present the medals at Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Celebration
Plaza,” said IOC Coordination Commission Chairman René Fasel. “The
daily achievements of the athletes will undoubtedly only be matched by
the enthusiasm of the spectators and the Whistler community,
celebrating with them at the Plaza.”
VANOC executive vice
president of services and operations Terry Wright remarked on the
outcome: “This decision is a great example of the tremendous
partnership we share with the RMOW. With a shared passion to achieve
the best possible outcome, our teams worked together to review the
plan, revise the budgets and achieve great results that will benefit
athletes and spectators alike. The medals presentations will be
stunning in the spectacular setting of Whistler Olympic and Paralympic
Celebration Plaza.”
The return of the medal presentations to WCP
ensures the Olympic broadcasters will televise the nightly medals
ceremonies, and provides greater profile to all the programming
presented at the site.
“We are very pleased to have the medals
ceremonies return to Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Celebration
Plaza,” said Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed. “I expect the response in
Whistler will be very positive. We are looking forward to welcoming the
world, including the millions of television viewers from across Canada
and around the globe”.
Whistler Olympic and Paralympic
Celebration Plaza will be the centerpiece of the Whistler Celebration
Sites program – a unique Whistler experience created in partnership
with the Government of Canada, Whistler Arts Council, RMOW and VANOC.
“The
Whistler region’s residents and visitors will now have the chance to
share in the excitement surrounding the medal ceremonies as part of the
Vancouver 2010 Winter Games,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister
of State (Sport). “Our Government is pleased to support this
initiative, which allows people to have first-hand Games experiences.”
During
the Games, Whistler Village will be an exciting network of integrated
performance sites, stages and screens. Visitors will experience an
incredible range of entertainment including memorable performances
across the full spectrum of creativity. Musicians, dancers, and artists
of many genres, as well as exhibitions and interactive celebrations for
all ages will engage and entertain throughout each day and well into
the evening. In addition, WCP will host the closing ceremony for the
2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
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