WHISTLER, B.C. -- A look at the sports venues for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
WHISTLER
Whistler Sliding Centre
Location: Blackcomb Mountain
Sports: Bobsled, luge, skeleton
Seating capacity: 12,000
Cost: $104.9 million
Original estimate: $52.8 million
History: The first time veteran pilot Pierre Lueders drove a sled down the track he went airborne because of the speed.
Whistler Olympic Park
Location: In Callaghan Valley, 20 kilometres southwest of Whistler
Sports: Cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, Nordic combined
Seating capacity: 12,000 in each of three stadiums
Cost: $119.7 million
Original estimate: $97 million
History: Italy's Pietro Piller Cottrer caused a stir during a cross-country ski World Cup race when he said the course was too easy and could have been made better. Pietro Piller fell in a race the next day, costing him a chance at a medal.
Whistler Creekside
Location: Whistler Mountain
Sports: Downhill, super-giant slalom, giant slalom, slalom
Seating capacity: 7,600
Cost: $27.6 million in upgrades to ski hill
Original estimate: $22 million
History: Originally, slalom and giant-slalom events were scheduled to be held on Blackcomb Mountain. The Whistler course had to be redesigned to avoid the habitat of a rare frog.
VANCOUVER
GM Place
Location: Downtown Vancouver
Sports: Men and women's hockey
Seating capacity: 18,630
Cost: $18.5 million in upgrades
Original estimate: $3.2 million
History: The home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks will be called Canada Hockey Place during Games. The decision to play on NHL-sized ice surface, instead of an international ice surface, saved about $10 million.
Cypress Mountain
Location: Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver
Sports: Freestyle skiing, snowboard
Seating capacity: 800
Cost: $16.6 million in upgrades
Original estimate: $10.8 million
History: Thick fog and heavy snow played havoc with a World Cup freestyle event on the mountain last February.
Pacific Coliseum
Location: Vancouver
Sports: Figure skating, short-track speedskating
Seating capacity: 14,239
Cost: $19 million in upgrades
Original estimate: $22 million
History: The coliseum was once the home of the Canucks. The WHL Vancouver Giants now play there.
Richmond Olympic Oval
Location: 14 kilometres south of downtown Vancouver
Sports: Long-track speedskating
Seating capacity: 8,000
Cost: VANOC contributed $63.3 million towards building the oval; part of a $178-million recreation centre
Original estimate: $60 million
History: Oval was originally planned for Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., but when estimated costs soared to $78 million, it was moved to Richmond, near the Vancouver International Airport.
UBC Thunderbird Arena
Location: University of British Columbia campus
Sports: Men's and women's hockey
Seating capacity: 7,200
Cost: VANOC contributed $38.5 million; UBC responsible for balance of $43.5 million cost
Estimated cost: $34 million
History: Construction of the arena involved refurbishing the Father Bauer Arena, which was built in 1963 and was the base for the men's national hockey team up until the Olympic team went pro and began recruiting professional players from the NHL.
Vancouver Olympic Centre
Location: Near Queen Elizabeth Park and Nat Bailey Stadium
Sports: Curling
Seating capacity: 6,000
Cost: VANOC contributed $40 million; part of $87.85-million, multi-purpose community recreation centre
Estimated cost: $27 million
History: Canadian Curling Association was frustrated with size of venue. The organization had hoped for 10,000-seat arena that would remain a curling facility after Olympics.
