VANOC to provide media update on Cypress Mountain

With Vancouver awash in spring-like conditions including sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures, VANOC will go to the media on Thursday fpr an update on the ongoing snow harvesting and overall venue preparations at Cypress Mountain. Cypress Mountain is home of freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

On January 13, VANOC and Cypress Mountain management agreed to close the ski resort's alpine runs to the public in order to undertake the significant preparation required to ready the mountain for Olympic competition, especially in light of the unseasonably warm and wet weather.

The media briefing will be held at VANOC headquarters, see below for additional details. At this time, it is not possible to access the venue as it is closed for Games-time preparations.
Current plans for the briefing include the provision of recent still photos and video to the media. As Cypress is an official Olympic venue, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s "Television News Access Rules Applicable to Non-rights holding Broadcast Organizations at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games" is in effect. These rules are attached for review in advance of the media briefing and will also be provided in hard copy on Thursday.

Today, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and VANOC CEO John Furlong viewed the venue and ongoing round the clock preparations for the Games during a helicopter tour. "It's impressive to see how hard the venue team is working at Cypress Mountain to ensure the world's best winter athletes have great courses to compete on. They're experts in their field and are putting everything they have into this. I know they'll do us proud when the Games open in just 17 days," said Campbell after the venue tour. "We also saw impressive amounts of snow at the higher elevations, which the team is carefully moving into place, always conscious of the balance between weather and the time needed to prepare for the arrival of the athletes. It's all coming together nicely, despite the recent temperate conditions."