IOC dismisses Games criticism, praises VANOC

[gotosy]

Sebastian Coe defends Vancouver Winter Olympics from critics

Sebastian Coe has come to the defence of the Vancouver Winter Olympics following the surfeit of media criticism the Games have received.

Coe, the London 2012 chairman, says he is keeping a watchful eye over Vancouver's efforts, and believes the Canadians have done an excellent job so far. "I haven't read any media while I have been here because I have been here with our observation teams and secondees, but what I witness here is that the stadiums are full, the seats are full of passionate fans, the streets are busy and there's a lot going on," he said.

"There has been fantastic sport and live sites that are showing sport for those who cannot get into the Games, so that's not bad for a Games that is only halfway through."

"That's what has been so good around here. I have been in a stadium where fans have cheered people from countries far away from their own. The one big thing is that you don't want empty stadia at the Olympic Games and whether it is ice hockey, curling or speed skating, I haven't seen an empty seat in the house, and that's a good sign."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/feb/18/sebastian-coe-winter-olympics

[Mainad]

British media coverage angers Vancouver Olympics chief

BBC Sport's James Pearce on the problems which have plagued Vancouver

A leading Olympic official has hit out at sections of the British media for their coverage of the Vancouver Games.

Organisers have been criticised for the way they have run the Games and also came under fire in the wake of the death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.

Games chief John Furlong told BBC Sport: "To read caustic and finger-pointing comments, you have to wonder what event they are really watching. They don't appear to be attending the same Olympic Games as everyone else."

The death of Georgian Kumaritashvili, who crashed into a steel pole at the Whistler Sliding Centre just hours before the opening ceremony, sent shockwaves around Canada and the world.

However, the 21-year-old - along with every other non-Canadian athlete - was given limited access to the track considered to be the fastest and most dangerous in the world.

Many Canadians have been really hurt by some of the criticisms in the British media

Although organisers immediately changed the starting position of the track, while the International Luge Federation will make adjustments to slow the track down, certain British newspapers believed the hosts were partly to blame for the tragedy.

Commenting on the "Own The Podium" campaign to make Canada the top sporting nation in the world by the 2010 Games, the Daily Mail said it "should not mean placing competitors in jeopardy, particularly in a sport in which fatalities have occurred, albeit infrequently".

Meanwhile, the Guardian said the Games were in danger of being remembered as "the worst in Olympic history".

However, Furlong defended Vancouver's organising committee (Vanoc) and its reaction following Kumaritashvili's death.

"The day that happened was as heartbreaking a thing [as could happen], and I would say it was probably the only scenario that we were unprepared for," he said.

"I got that call that morning and I felt like I had a phone call saying that my son had been killed.

"As an organising committee we were mortified. The entire organisation, all 50,000 of us, went back on our heels and tried to figure out how we would manage from here.

"There's plenty of time to talk about the track when the Games are over. The way the track is put together is a very complex process, Vanoc and the IOC work in collaboration to deliver the venue that is designed.

"We went through that process and we built the track that everybody wanted us to build and we wanted to build. We had World Cups on it, we had practices on it, we had thousands of runs down the track.

"Our team have done everything they can to try to give them the venue that they wanted for the Games."

The Games have been plagued by weather problems as Vancouver, situated on the west coast of Canada, experiences its warmest winter in a century.

The temperate conditions have forced organisers to refund about £245,000 as snow melted on Cypress Mountain, leaving sections of the viewing areas unsafe.

"The fact that we've had the warmest January ever since we've been recording temperatures, it goes back 100 years - it's happening, what are we going to do about it?" said Furlong.

"We have fought the snow demons on that mountain and I think we're winning.

"There are some things we've had to do to protect the field of play, so that the athletes get to complete their competitions and have their Olympic dream.

I think Vanoc has been very open with us about the problems that they have encountered, but also we have seen the great successes of the Games

"I think it's too bad that people see it otherwise, we don't and frankly we're a little bit offended that they have taken the position they have."

Further problems have been encountered with the Olympic flame and the fence which surrounds it, with some spectators complaining the barriers are too far to view the cauldron.

"In order to put the cauldron where we did, we had to make sure we weren't going to compromise security for the building," said Furlong.

"Once we saw that (restricted view) was happening, we were trying to find a way to create a remedy and we've done that now, there's a wonderful viewing gallery right beside it and there's a space in the fence so you can take all the pictures you want."

Despite the media criticism, Britain's Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell, who is overseeing the country's strategy to host the 2012 Games in London, defended Vancouver's organisation.

"I think Vanoc has been very open with us about the problems that they have encountered, but also we have seen the great successes of the Games," she said.

"I think it is quite unfair to dwell on the problems. You know, on any event of this scale, of course there are bound to be problems."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/8521728.stm

[Alan in Montréal]

I agree with VANOC's position, however, their biggest weakness seems to be that they have no "infrastructure" in place to pump-out positive new releases and make the press aware of the major successes of these Games. I think they did not plan for having to deflect unending criticism like this, but at this point, they should have experts in place to fill the media with positive facts, and to react to negative stories with the truth as quickly as possible.

There have been some major triumphs here. In a location with unending rain and 10C temperatures for days, they have been able to run snow events with few glitches. The athletes were able to compete in these conditions and that is a major achievement that came from a tireless effort to protect the venue and weeks of planning and action. I'm not convinced that other Games would have been able to deal with it as well.

But my point remains -- they need much better PR that reacts swiftly with facts and details to make the media look stupid -- which mostly they are. Unresearched opinions is a lot of what we're reading here.

[LuigiVercotti]

I agree with VANOC's position, however, their biggest weakness seems to be that they have no "infrastructure" in place to pump-out positive new releases and make the press aware of the major successes of these Games. I think they did not plan for having to deflect unending criticism like this, but at this point, they should have experts in place to fill the media with positive facts, and to react to negative stories with the truth as quickly as possible.

There have been some major triumphs here. In a location with unending rain and 10C temperatures for days, they have been able to run snow events with few glitches. The athletes were able to compete in these conditions and that is a major achievement that came from a tireless effort to protect the venue and weeks of planning and action. I'm not convinced that other Games would have been able to deal with it as well.

But my point remains -- they need much better PR that reacts swiftly with facts and details to make the media look stupid -- which mostly they are. Unresearched opinions is a lot of what we're reading here.

I'm sure there is plenty of mechanisms for VANOC to spread the good word, the problem is (1) the good word doesn't attract as much attention as the 'bad' word and (2) these games have had issues which can't be papered over with a few touchy-feely nice statements about Canuck gold or how many meals are served in the Village dining Hall. When it comes to the media and the Olympics it's the big ticket stories that make impacts on perceptions, and whether or not the weather has been unseasonably warm or the cauldron's access has been improved, so far the three striking issues that will overwhelm the positive are the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the cauldron stuff ups and the issues at Cypress (which could be the most damaging as this affects the fans and the revenues of the games). Can VANOC be blamed for these things...partly yes. Have these problems made these the worst Winter Games ever, hell no.

Right now what VANOC needs is great weather, a couple of big stars to win gold in their respective events, and less defensive 'but, but, but...' statements. Otherwise they (the organising committee, not Vancouver itself or the games as a sporting event) will look like Atlanta's bunch of semi-competents.

[Kenadian]

The new iceholes of the world are the British media...the most critical crew of losers this world has ever known. To LOCOG and London 2012 supporters, be very wary of your own media. They will do anything they can to undo your games.

[Rob2012]

It amazes me that this has come as a surprise to so many here. I guess some people don't frequent the 2012 forums that often.

[adrianme17]

The new iceholes of the world are the British media...the most critical crew of losers this world has ever known. To LOCOG and London 2012 supporters, be very wary of your own media. They will do anything they can to undo your games.

you forget we live here with the UK Media and their perpetual bile - so nothing comes as a surprise to us!

[Mainad]

The new iceholes of the world are the British media...the most critical crew of losers this world has ever known. To LOCOG and London 2012 supporters, be very wary of your own media. They will do anything they can to undo your games.

Gosh...they've been tearing into London 2012 almost since London won the bid nearly 5 years ago! As of late,they've been a bit quiet on the homefront probably because things have been progressing quite well and there's not been much for them to get their teeth into.Which is why they probably decided to turn on Vancouver and have been making the most of any problems that have been reported from there.IMO a lot of it is almost certainly a thinly-disguised threat towards London 2012,a warning of what the latter can expect if their cock-ups become too visible.Charming lot aren't they?

But I too have been taken a bit aback by the ferocity of some of the Brit press's reporting on Vancouver.After all,Canada is a close friend and ally that has never done us any harm.So I do wonder quite where all the vitriol has come from! And I guess the Canadian press will be more than a little tempted to repay us in kind if and when London 2012 starts to get into any difficulties.Gee thanks a lot,Guardian,Daily Mail and co!!

All I can say is that these articles definitely do not speak for the vast majority of Britons who either couldn't care less about these Games (we have scant tradition of winter sports in our country) or are enthusiastic admirers,like all the British posters on these forums including me!

Please take your cue from us!!

[mr.x]

Branson defends Vancouver Games

Posted By QMI Agency

Updated 3 hours ago

DHARM MAKWANA — Billionaire Richard Branson has come to Vancouver's defense following the thrashing the city received in the British press for its staging of the "worst Olympics ever".

"I'm trying to think of a polite word to use about the British press," the head of the Virgin Group said Thursday in a downtown Vancouver coffee shop. "I think it's incredibly unfair."

"The Games seem to be extremely well organized. They had bad weather in the first few days but, my God, we have bad weather in the UK. I'm looking forward to going out there and trying to prove the British press wrong."

In town to mix a bit of business with pleasure, the flamboyant Branson has been sweeping through Olympic venues with a trail of paparazzi following his every move. To date he's taken in a women's hockey game and will be in Whistler for the men's skeleton.

At a press conference earlier this week Branson and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson outlined an ambitious plan to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of 50 cities through economic incentives.

While pitching his "Carbon War Room" on Breakfast with Nat and Drew's show on Virgin Radio 95.3, the man who signed the Sex Pistols, among many other acts, to his Virgin Records label said "we literally today got mayors from New York and London and other places going around the city to see how it's done".

Branson's straight talk about his own corporation's carbon problems, most notably his Virgin Atlantic Airlines, is just one more reason he's a magnet for critics.

"Greening an airline is not easy," he said. "What we're doing is putting 100 per cent of the profit from dirty businesses into trying to develop clean fuels so our planes can fly on fuels [made from] algae. The fuels have been developed, but realistically, I think, before they're developed in the quantity that they're needed we're talking three to six years away."

While the world waits for green rocket fuel West coast residents won't have to wait much longer for Virgin Atlantic as Branson unveiled plans for flights between Vancouver and London beginning in about 18 months.

[Rob2012]

Well, the new Virgin F1 team will certainly be doing its bit to reduce its Carbon footprint if pre-season testing is anything to go by.

But seriously, good to have a different viewpoint, and one from someone with some clout, and one from someone who is actually there

[LuigiVercotti]

Here's a story from Australia's Fairfax newspapers (The Age & SMH)

Olympic spirit flickers amid the shambles

GREG BAUM, VANCOUVER

February 20, 2010

SWISS skier Dominique Grisin was one of many who crashed at the showpiece women's downhill on Wednesday, but her ignominy was made more acute by an inexplicable mound of snow piled beside the finishing line that bounced her painfully onto her backside one extra time. The race was paused while workers with shovels moved in to level the mound. It was all right, but not on the night.

Here was a snapshot of the first week of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which were expected to be model Games, but instead have turned into a shambles. The unseasonally warm weather is unfortunate, but as an alibi is as thin as the snow cover. In so many ways, Vancouver appears to have taken its big fortnight for granted.

It began with a security breach at the opening ceremony when an intruder with a home-made ''access all areas'' pass got to within metres of US vice-president Joe Biden. On the same day, a luger died in a tragic track accident. Authorities denied that the track was dangerous, but modified it overnight anyway. Then the Wall Street Journal claimed that the site was unsuitable for a track, that the recommendation had been to use Grouse Mountain instead, but that authorities had insisted on Whistler because of post-Games marketability.

Also on day one, ice-grooming machinery at Richmond skate park was found to be inadequate and had to be replaced. Meantime, a fleet of transit buses brought in from California struggled to get up Cypress Mountain, and some did not make it at all. Seemingly, it took organisers by surprise that buses designed for urban streets would fail on mountain gradients. Many bus drivers have lost their way, not uncommon at the Olympics, but acute here. Mussolini made the trains run efficiently, but Vancouver 2010 cannot do it with buses.

Volunteers are plentiful and cheery, as usual, but are poorly briefed compared with previous Olympics. Some are bureaucratically petty in the way they enforce rules - this side of a line in the snow, but not that - which is unexpected of Canadians. The Age excludes the volunteer who went out of her way to recover a lost mobile phone from a bus depot on Squamish. But she was Australian.

Also on day one, the blue riband men's downhill was postponed because of inclement weather, whereupon fans learnt that they were not entitled to a refund. Later, thousands with standing room tickets to snowboarding were refused entry because organisers feared they would sink. Phlegmatism ensured that there was no riot. The next day there was one, in the streets of downtown Vancouver. It was an all-purpose political protest, and not the fault of the Olympics, but became another of their problems.

Fans also felt snubbed when they discovered that they could not get near the Olympic cauldron on the harbourside because of a chain-link fence. Organisers said it was because of security, but that they would build a platform. Like so many other problems, it should have been easy to anticipate, but was not.

This was a poor way to reciprocate the goodwill of the people of Vancouver. The Turin Winter Games in 2006 got a tepid reception from the local populace. At the Summer Games in Beijing in 2008, authorities bussed in instant crowds to fill embarrassingly empty grandstands. But Vancouverites have taken their Games to heart. The bleachers are full for every event, even - or especially - at the curling. There are crowds at the medals presentations, crowds at the live sites, crowds even in the streets at midnight; it as if no one wants to miss a moment.

The only distasteful bi-product is a galloping jingoism. It is impossible to turn on the television without seeing another replay of the gold medal performances of moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau or snowboarder Maille Ricker, and another exclamation about ''this great country''. But Australians can scarcely complain.

Causing many problems, compounding others and underscoring them all is the balminess of the weather. It has led to cancellations, delays and postponements. It has forced training sessions to be curtailed or abandoned, which in some sports has prompted allegations of a conspiracy by the Canadians to deny their rivals practice. It has meant that many events have been staged in sub-optimal conditions, producing flukey results and doubtful Olympic champions.

In the women's snowboard cross, swirling cloud and rain interrupted the heats constantly, led to an abnormal number of falls and prompted a Canadian commentator to say: ''A snowboard race should not look like this.'' But Ricker's eventual gold medal changed her mind. As ever, success needed no explanation.

The weather is only going to get better, that is to say, worse. The forecast for Vancouver next week is temperatures of up to 16 degrees, almost 10 above average, more usual in June than February. Only at the Winter Olympics do people yearn for an icy blast.

The IOC and the Vancouver organising committee can say that they were unlucky with the weather, but not with hand on heart. Certainly, it is unseasonal, almost unprecedented. But whether you believe that global warming is man-made or a stage in a cycle, it cannot be ignored. By granting the Games to a coastal town, the IOC did take a risk. They have taken another in allocating the 2014 Games to Sochi, on the Black Sea.

The Olympic spirit, palpable and abiding, has been Vancouver's salvation in the first week. The next challenge is redemption.

Seems on balance not a bad story...nowhere near as vitriolic as some of the British media efforts, however the use of the word shambles in the byline and first para will undoubtedly get backs up. To sum up, I think Baum is extolling the virtues of the '6P' mantra (prior preparation prevents piss poor performance) for VANOC and the IOC