A top international Olympic official who once voiced concerns
over the distance between 2010 Olympic venues in Vancouver and Whistler is no
longer worried.
“I do not think that is the case anymore,” said the
International Olympic Committee’s Gerhard Heiberg this week.
“So, far, yes — but not too far.”
Heiberg was head of the IOC’s evaluation committee that
assessed the candidate cities for the 2010 Winter Olympics. During a March 2003
inspection of sites proposed by the Vancouver bid committee Heiberg said the
Whistler venues were “too far from Vancouver. You need to shorten the time if
possible.”
The Norwegian, who was also chair of the 1994 Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Lillehammer, visited Whistler and Vancouver this week to
check on how the highway and venue construction was progressing.
“I (wanted to) see whether (The Vancouver Organizing Committee)
had kept all the promises (given) during the bid,” said Heiberg, who admitted
he had been asked about his highway comments thousands of times.
The $600 million upgrade of the Sea to Sky Highway passed the
half-way mark this summer and is on schedule for a fall 2009 completion.
Heiberg said he was especially worried about the Nordic venue
in the Callaghan Valley, about 14 kilometres south of Whistler Village. Before
the Nordic centre was built the valley was used primarily by backcountry
recreationalists. It is claimed as traditional territory by both the Squamish
and Lil’wat First Nations.
“There was absolutely nothing there and I was thinking can this
be possible,” Heiberg said of the bid-phase plans for the 2010 Games.
“I had some meetings with the First Nations at the time and
they were opposed to this and they told me this was impossible and they told me
that we should not do anything in the Callaghan Valley.”
Today a deal is in place with the First Nations, the ski jumps
are assembled, the Nordic competition trails will be open to the public this
winter, the first test events will be held in January, and the Nordic centre
incorporates several environmental programs.
“I was there and I was really impressed and I feel you have
done an incredibly good job,” said Heiberg following Monday’s site visit to the
venue.
Heiberg said the IOC was also watching VANOC’s progress on
getting sponsor commitments after setting ambitious goals.
“When I saw the budget I thought it was too high a level,” he
said. “But after having watched what is happening and talking to the people
involved I feel VANOC may even exceed the figures in the budget.”
VANOC said it is on
target to reach
its sponsorship revenue goals for 2007.
Overall, VANOC has secured commitments for more than $630 million of its
$760 million domestic sponsorship target.
VANOC CEO John Furlong accompanied Heiberg on his Whistler
venue tour hoping to dispel the idea that the organization couldn’t keep its
promises.
“I think for (Heiberg) it is a bit of validation,” said
Furlong. “I think that he thought that we had it in us and now he is seeing it
all come to pass.
“We always felt that in our country if you break a promise you
can’t get away with it. It may be OK in some places in the world but it is not
OK here.”
Heiberg also visited the Vancouver venues this week.