B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell promises Canada's 2010 Olympic venues will be completed ahead of schedule, and B.C. will throw an opening ceremony to easily rival Beijing's.
Appearing on NBC's "Today Show" Wednesday morning, Campbell said he was "inspired" by Friday's lavish opening.
"It was a great show...I thought it was half the population of Canada," he mused.
"I thought this opening bid touched people in China. It touched people in the world and I was inspired by it and I'm just as excited about the opening we're going to see."
Campbell admits Canada cannot compete financially with the lavish US $300 million spent on Beijing's opening ceremonies.
"We're not going to come close to spending $300 million," he said. "Our whole Olympic budget is $1.2 billion. It's nothing like the $43 billion they invested here.
Speaking outside of the Beijing National Stadium, Campbell promised Vancouver's Olympic venues will be completed ahead of schedule.
"Our venues are way ahead of schedule so everyone is going to have at least two seasons to practice on them," he said.
But even Today's host Meredith Vieira questioned Campbell's certainty that B.C.'s venues would be completed ahead of time. Campbell said the completion date had "nothing do with him" and credited the early completion date to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC).
"VANOC has just done a superb job. We set the goal of having the venues done early so we can practice," he said.
He also said although Canada has yet to win a medal in the Beijing games, things would be different come 2010.
"You're welcome to come and win your silvers but we're getting the gold's," he said.
Wednesday's lighthearted interview comes on the heels of some tough questions from international media. In a press conference Tuesday in Beijing, the B.C. Premier was asked some tough questions about transportation problems for 2010 and how the province would deal with protesters during the games.
Addressing a question about the recent closure of the Sea-to-Sky highway and whether he's afraid the protesters from the notorious Anti-Poverty Committee will attempt to block it during the Games, Campbell reiterated earlier statements about contingency plans being in place for the highway, which was shuttered for five days after a rock slide earlier this month.
Campbell's vowed Vancouver's games in 2010 would not be plagued by homelessness, addiction and poverty - and that people would be free to protest, legally, during the Games.
