2010 Winter Games - Whistler welcomed the world
"The city of Vancouver and the ski village of Whistler are terrific hosts for these Olympic Games. The air is clean, the public transit is scarily efficient, and the harbours, with snowcapped mountains for a backdrop, are picturesque. Whistler, two hours to the north and home to the skiing, sliding and Nordic events, is a winter wonderland." - TIME MAGAZINE
"Whistler is the exact idyllic picture of what you expect at the Winter Olympics." - Jennifer Hedger, anchor, CTV PRIMETIME
Winter 2009-10, Whistler realized a 50 year-long dream when it hosted the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It all began in 1960, when a group of Vancouver businessmen were inspired by their experience as spectators of the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, and sought to bring the 1968 Winter Games to British Columbia. They found the perfect mountain, just north of Vancouver - at the time it was called London Mountain (now called Whistler after the whistling sound made by the local hoary marmots). Whistler didn't host the Games in 1968 but it did not give up on its vision - trying no less than four more times to host the Winter Games in 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1988.
Fast forward to 2010 and Whistler, now one of the world's most popular year-round resort destinations, was the proud host of the exciting, memorable and inspirational XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games.
The sporting excellence achieved, friendships created, laughter shared, incredible highs and heart-wrenching lows, and the intangible atmosphere that energized the Village day and night showcased Whistler's ability to successfully host one of the biggest sports shows on Earth. Now that the highly anticipated Winter Games have passed, the legacies and community pride are being carried forth as a meaningful reminder for generations to come.
2010 Winter Games key facts
During the Winter Olympics (February 12 - 28, 2010) and Paralympics (March 12 - 21, 2010), Whistler's three competition venues - Whistler Creekside, Whistler Sliding Centre, and Whistler Olympic Park/ Paralympic Park - hosted a total of 63 medal events, including:
| SPORTS | EVENTS | VENUE |
| Alpine Skiing | Olympic and Paralympic:
downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, super combined | Alpine skiing at Whistler Creekside
(on Whistler Mountain) |
| Nordic | Olympic:
biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined
Paralympic:
biathlon and cross-country skiing | Nordic sports at Whistler Olympic Park
(at the Callaghan Valley) |
| Sliding | Olympic:
bobsleigh, luge, skeleton | Sliding at Whistler Sliding Centre
(on Blackcomb Mountain) |
The Games by the numbers:
- 86 medals in 17 days of Olympic Games events (57 medals presented in Whistler)
- 64 medals in 9 days of Paralympic Games events (62 medals presented in Whistler)
- 5,500 Olympic athletes and team officials (2,750 athletes in Whistler)
- 1,350 Paralympic Games athletes and officials (1,015 athletes in Whistler)
- 25,000 volunteers
- 85 countries participating in Olympic Games
- 45 countries participating in Paralympic Games
- 10,000 accredited media representatives
- 55,000 workforce staff
- 3.5 billion television viewers worldwide