Whistler Ski Resort

The Whistler ski resort will be one of the main venues of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Whistler is part of the Whistler-Blackcomb resort area, the largest ski resort in North America, the name is derived from the names of two mountain peaks.

It is here that 28 sets of Olympics medals will be in competition (12 in cross-country skiing, 10 in biathlon, three in Nordic combined and three in ski jumping). There will also be 32 sets of Paralympic awards (22 in ski races and 10 in biathlon). Whistler will also host competitions in the luge and bobsledding (in these events athletes will vie for eight sets of medals: three each in luge and bobsled, and two in skeleton).

The Whistler bobsled/skeleton course is 1,450 m long, the luge course a bit shorter: 1,374 m. Still shorter is the course for female sledders and two-man bobs – at 1,198 m.

The highest point for a starting facility is 938 m above sea level. The maximum angle of incline on the course, which has sixteen bends, is 20 degrees.

A 153-meter drop in elevation makes the course one of the fastest in the world. The course speed record, established in February 2009 by the German luger Felix Loch, is 153.98 km/hr. The course’s maximum gravitational pull is over 5g, which approximates that of Formula-1 race car drivers.

In addition to the luge, Whistler will also host ski races and the biathlon. The Olympic Park has three facilities: for biathlon, ski racing and ski jumping. Olympic ski races at Whistler Olympic Park will be run along two 5-km courses, while biathlon athletes will compete on a 4-km ski track. The ski course will be 3.75 km long for the Paralympics.

The shooting range for the biathlon includes 50 shooting positions and is equipped with an electronic target system. The system not only identifies the exact time and location of bullet hits, but also automatically selects the type of target depending on the firing position (the target diameter for prone position is 45 mm, and for standing position, 115 mm).

The ski jump facility consists of two slopes, 90 and 120 m high with landing zones 106 m and 140 m long, respectively. The angle of the jump run in both cases is 11 degrees. Unlike the biathlon and ski facilities, each jump is fitted with the latest artificial snow generating equipment.

The resort will start receiving Olympic guests from the first day of the Games. This Olympic site is 125 km north of Vancouver. During the Winter Games, it will be simpler to reach Whistler from Vancouver by bus services running from BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Lonsdale Quay. The travel time, according to preliminary estimates by organizers, will be about three hours. Photo: Inukshuk, a sculpture of Inuit origin, one of the mascots of the Games.