Course modifications ongoing for 2010 alpine events

The world-famous Whistler Mountain Resort will host 10 alpine skiing medals events at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Consistently ranked one of the top ski resorts in North America, it welcomes more than 2 million visitors each year. It also has solid experience hosting FIS World Cup competitions, having carried out 13 women’s and men's races from 1982-95.

THE WORLD-FAMOUS Whistler Mountain Resort will host 10 alpine skiing medals events at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Consistently ranked one of the top ski resorts in North America, it welcomes more than 2 million visitors each year. It also has solid experience hosting FIS World Cup competitions, having carried out 13 women’s and men's races from 1982-95.
    At Whistler Creekside, the planned men's course for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games — the Dave Murray Downhill — is a well-respected and challenging course. The women’s course for 2010 is known as Franz's Run. Some of the key improvements to ensure the competition slopes meet the modern requirements for Olympic competitions include contouring and reshaping the courses, additions to the existing snowmaking system and an enhanced reservoir for snowmaking.
    The improvement work began last summer. One of the key projects this summer is to widen and grade the finish area. As at the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Are, Sweden, there will be one combined finish area for all the women’s and men's events in 2010. The snowmaking system is currently being installed and the construction of the pump station has started. In the upper parts of the mountain, the work got under way somewhat delayed due to the masses of snow that fell this winter. In places, the snowpack reached 4 meters. An overpass for the women’s course and a tunnel under the men's course will also be built this summer.
    “Despite the vast amounts of snow last season, all projects are ahead of last year's schedule as construction and environmental permits are now all in place. We are confident that everything will be completed by the end of October, as planned, in preparation of the FIS Alpine World Cup races here at the end of February 2008,” said Pete Bosinger, sport manager, alpine skiing at VANOC. “The FIS Chief Race Directors Guenter Hujara and Atle Skaardal will visit us in September to inspect our progress and help with final preparations for the first World Cup-level test events,” he added.