VANOC Board of Directors confirms details for 2010 Anti-Doping Program; endorses plans for Beijing 2008
July 16, 2008
Vancouver, BC
– With only 22 days until the Opening
Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Board of Directors
for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) held its fourth meeting of 2008. At
today’s meeting the Board confirmed numerous elements
for the 2010 Games Anti-Doping Program and received an overview of
plans for the VANOC mission team attending the Beijing 2008 Games.
The agenda also included updates to the Board of Directors on venue
construction and Game Plan 2008, a series of information sessions
for 2010 Winter Games venue communities.
“By the time we hold our September meeting, the
spotlight will have turned squarely onto Vancouver, Whistler and
Canada as next to host this spectacular global sport and cultural
event,” said Jack Poole, Chairman of the Board.
“The Board is highly encouraged by the focus and
enthusiasm VANOC is displaying as we move into this important and
fast-paced period. The confirmation of the anti-doping program for
the 2010 Winter Games means we are one significant step closer to
reaching the goal of hosting doping-free Games in
2010.” Added Poole, “The Beijing 2008 Games
will add another layer of experience to what we gained in Torino in
2006, enhancing our ability to deliver on our promise of hosting
great Games in 2010.”
Highlights of reports and updates delivered at the July
16, 2008 VANOC Board Meeting include:
Anti-Doping Program
The Board confirmed the new 15,000 square foot, on-site
anti-doping laboratory will be located at the Richmond Oval (home
to speed skating events during the Games). The anti-doping
laboratory will facilitate a state-of-the-art testing program at
Sport Events taking place in 2008-09, and at the 2010 Winter Games.
The Board also confirmed that the laboratory will be managed by the
Doping Control Laboratory of the Institut national de la recherche
scientifique (INRS)-Institut Armand-Frappier, Canada’s
only World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory, based
in Montreal, Quebec. During the 2010 Winter Games, the INRS will
operate the laboratory and manage the testing of up to 2,450
athlete samples. Due to the nature of anti-doping testing, the
laboratory, testing techniques and VANOC’s anti-doping
program will be designed to adapt to the latest practices. A
comprehensive news release on this announcement is available at
www.vancouver2010.com.
Beijing 2008 Update
The Board was briefed on details of VANOC’s mission
team attending the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games this August, and the
Paralympic Games this September. The Beijing Games will provide the
VANOC team with an opportunity to observe Games operations and draw
from the Beijing experience, thereby enabling VANOC to enhance its
plans for 2010. A comprehensive news release outlining details on
VANOC’s Beijing mission team can be found at
www.vancouver2010.com.
Quebec
Announcement
VANOC is also announcing today that the Province of Quebec has
joined VANOC’s Contributing Province/Territory Program
(CPTP) with a $5 million contribution towards Canadian athletes
through the Own the Podium 2010 program and the staging of the 2010
Winter Games. VANOC Chief Executive Officer, John Furlong also
advised the Board that he will be joining Premier Jean Charest in
Quebec City on July 17 to deliver an address to all provincial and
territorial premiers at the Council of the Federation summer
meeting. Furlong’s address will highlight the CPTP
program and encourage all remaining provinces and territories to
take part in Vancouver 2010.
CTV Olympic Media Consortium Presentation
The Board received an overview from the CTV Olympic Media
Consortium on the plans for pre-Games and Games-time programming
including details on production, editorial research and digital
media. Consortium executives also provided an update on plans to
ensure widespread distribution and greater accessibility of 2010
Winter Games coverage on French-language networks.
Venue Construction Update
-
UBC Thunderbird Arena: Completed on budget and four months in advance of the scheduled completion date.
-
Killarney and Trout Lake training venues: Progressing well. Most in-ground work has been completed and both are on track for completion in summer 2009.
-
Richmond Oval: Excellent progress continues; the refrigerated slab for the two Olympic-size hockey rinks, in addition to the entire 400-metre oval track, has been poured; brine pipes will be charged in July, in preparation for ice-making in August. The majority of construction is scheduled for completion in September 2008.
-
Olympic and Paralympic curling venue: Progressing well with the venue close to being fully enclosed. The recreational curling slab has been successfully poured.
-
Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver: Significant progress has been made on all building structures.
-
Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler: Construction progress continues; internal work on the townhomes has begun.
-
Whistler Athletes’ Centre (WAC) High Performance Centre: Key components have advanced and the project is near completion.
Game Plan 2008 Update
The Board received an update on Game Plan 2008, now into its
fifth week of community presentations. Meetings have been
positively received and generated valuable questions, comments and
feedback from the venue communities on subject areas including:
transportation; security planning; venue operations; ticketing;
parking; and volunteering. To date, VANOC has held successful
public forums in Whistler and Richmond, and in Vancouver at the
Hastings Park and Riley Park/Hillcrest venues and the Roundhouse
Community Centre, providing an overview of planning to date and a
look at what daily life will be during the 2010 Winter Games.
Within the next month, Game Plan 2008 will visit residents in the
Vancouver neighbourhood where the Coal Harbour Community Centre is
situated. Meetings in Squamish and Pemberton will be scheduled
before the end of summer. Game Plan will revisit all venue
communities and meet with key stakeholders and citizens in the
spring and fall of 2009, providing an increasing level of
operational detail as the Games approach.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Approvals
– Executive Board Meeting, Beijing, August
2008
John Furlong will deliver an update, by teleconference, to the
International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting on August
3, 2008. Items for review include:
-
the Vancouver 2010 competition schedule by hour
-
status of the design of the workforce uniforms
-
accreditation procedures
-
the Rate Card Program
VANOC will provide further detail on the outcome of its
presentation following the IOC Executive Board meeting.
Background:
The VANOC Board of Directors is made up of 20 members nominated by: the Canadian Olympic Committee (seven); the Government of Canada (three); the Province of British Columbia (three); the City of Vancouver (two); the Resort Municipality of Whistler (two); the Canadian Paralympic Committee (one); a joint appointment by the Band Councils of the Lil'wat and Squamish Nations (one); and one member nominated by the other 19 members.
The Board is scheduled to meet six times per year, and more often at the call of the Chair as required. The meetings are generally held at the Vancouver 2010 offices in Vancouver, although they are occasionally hosted by our Games partners in other locations. The Board’s responsibility is to oversee the conduct of the business of VANOC as it works toward achieving its Mission, to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.
The VANOC Board of Directors is made up of 20 members nominated by: the Canadian Olympic Committee (seven); the Government of Canada (three); the Province of British Columbia (three); the City of Vancouver (two); the Resort Municipality of Whistler (two); the Canadian Paralympic Committee (one); a joint appointment by the Band Councils of the Lil'wat and Squamish Nations (one); and one member nominated by the other 19 members.
The Board is scheduled to meet six times per year, and more often at the call of the Chair as required. The meetings are generally held at the Vancouver 2010 offices in Vancouver, although they are occasionally hosted by our Games partners in other locations. The Board’s responsibility is to oversee the conduct of the business of VANOC as it works toward achieving its Mission, to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.
As part of its commitment to public transparency and
accountability, the VANOC Board of Directors has made
today’s agenda, discussion topics and decisions
available to the public on www.vancouver2010.com, subject to
conditions of confidentiality related to personal information
and/or competitively sensitive or privileged information. VANOC is
also committed to hosting media briefings following each Board
meeting with the Board Chairman, the CEO and other director(s) or
members of the VANOC senior management team to elaborate further on
matters.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the VANOC Board of Directors is scheduled for September 17, 2008.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the VANOC Board of Directors is scheduled for September 17, 2008.
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and
staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter
Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in
Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and
Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12
to 21, 2010. Visit
www.vancouver2010.com
.
Contact
VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com
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