2010 Vote: Vancouver 56 Pyeongchang 53

[RedFred]

The IOC just announced the 2010 Olympic host city.

I was surprised it was so close with all the political instability in N. Korea affecting the S. Korea bid.

Salzburg wasn't a surprise to me. What does Mozart have to do with the Olympics? And it is very close to the 2008 venue in Italy, I think.

[FrustratedPoet]

Winter Olympics? Who cares?

[RedFred]

I do.

[FrustratedPoet]

Well that's OK then. Carry on.

[Agathon]

Great, now Vancouverites will become morons. There's a joke that does the rounds in Canada - what makes it funny is that it is true:

Q. How many Calgarians does it take to change a light bulb?

A. 100. One to change the light bulb and 99 to reminisce about the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

[mrboo123]

HEY!

[Q Classic]

ah well. i didn't expect it to do so well anyway.

[Wernazuma III]

Re: 2010 Vote: Vancouver 56 Pyeongchang 53

Originally posted by RedFred
Salzburg wasn't a surprise to me. What does Mozart have to do with the Olympics? And it is very close to the 2008 venue in Italy, I think.

It also didn't surprise me, Salzburg had the worse concept, by far, but maybe also the cheaper gold watches when trying to win the votes from African and Oceanian nations who couldn't care less for the winter olympics.

[*End Is Forever*]

Salzburg also had European "allies" that have more than half an eye on 2012...

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Great, now Vancouverites will become morons. There's a joke that does the rounds in Canada - what makes it funny is that it is true:

Q. How many Calgarians does it take to change a light bulb?

A. 100. One to change the light bulb and 99 to reminisce about the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

It's okay, they have every right to be jealous.

It was only the first winter olympics, ever, to turn a profit ($27M), in addition to pumping $1.1B into the local economy and putting the city on the map internationally. Tourism rates skyrocketed after the olympics, and we've got world class facilities all over the place and a world-famous university in Kneisiology (where clap-skates used in modern speedskating were invented)...

[FrustratedPoet]

And thus Agathon's point is proven.

[Asher]

Canada's just jealous that Calgary's the richest, fastest-growing in the nation and they're a bit left out.

[SpencerH]

The alpine and other events will be great, but does Vancouver really need a speed-skating oval or 70m and 90m ski jumps? What about the bobsled run? Will the dozens of people who'll use those facilities appreciate them? I dunno, maybe its a small price to pay?

[RedFred]

Spencer, the speed skating oval in Calgary helped propell Canadian speedskaters to the elite level. Their oval is still open 9 - 10 months a year to athletes all over the world. So there is two types of benefits to the 'lesser' sports venues being built, a minor economic one and a major athlete development one.

The big infrastructure improvements such as the Sea to Sky highway improvements and the rapid transit line to the airport are worth billions to the city in construction costs and incalculable amounts as a long term legacy to the city.

Regarding Asher and 'the morons of Canada', my sister volunteered at the Cowtown games and still talks about how great the experience was. So even if he does go on endlessly about it, it is somewhat understandable. It is a huge boost to a city's pride as well as its economics.

[Asher]

Originally posted by SpencerH
The alpine and other events will be great, but does Vancouver really need a speed-skating oval

I don't know about Vancouver, but it's nearly impossible to book time on the Calgary speed-skating oval.

Entire leagues of kids now speedskate, and they couldn't before.

The oval is on the University of Calgary's campus, and it's almost always packed. I doubt Vancouver would have trouble with people using it, either. Many countries actually train here, because the ice is regarded as the fastest in the world (although I think Salt Lake's was faster now?)

70m and 90m ski jumps?

Surprisingly, they're still used here. Not just for training, but some people recreationally use them.

What about the bobsled run? Will the dozens of people who'll use those facilities appreciate them?

Again, those are used here, too. There's even a popular ride on it, you go in the back of a sled with a driver controlling it, and you get to go on a bobsled with a pro driving. I hear it's quite the rush.