Vancouver, 1 April 2004 Six years out from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games, the Coordination Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – the 11-person body tasked with assisting the Canadian organisers with preparations – has concluded its first visit, encouraged to see organisers moving forward on Games planning. During their three-day stay, which combined a series of meetings with tours of Vancouver and the mountain resort of Whistler, Commission members worked in partnership with the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee and the public authorities to lay the foundations for preparations over the years ahead.

‘This was the first trip to Vancouver for the full Coordination Commission’, explained its Chairman, René Fasel. ‘Our aim was to meet the people chosen to deliver the promise of Vancouver’s winning bid, to get an outline brief of the plans and to visit the venues and sites for future building works. Thanks to three very constructive days, we are leaving secure in the knowledge that the foundations are being put in place in terms of the talent of the organisers and the support from authorities and stakeholders necessary for success in 2010. It is particularly heartening to note that Olympic values, such as the promotion of sport in the community and protection of the environment, are values held dear by the people of British Columbia.’

Vancouver 2010 CEO John Furlong said: ‘The partnership between Vancouver 2010 and the IOC has assisted us with the transition from Bid to Organising Committee. With the IOC’s continued support and knowledge, we are ready for our next tasks – building the organisation and venues, raising revenue and working towards other key milestones.’

Furlong added that VANOC – Vancouver Organising Committee – has been selected as the acronym for the Committee.
Since Vancouver won the right to host the XXI Olympic Winter Games at the IOC Session in Prague last year, the city has enjoyed preliminary meetings with the IOC ahead of this first Coordination Commission meeting, in particular with its Olympic Games Knowledge Services, in order to benefit from the IOC’s experience of past Olympic Games. ‘The IOC has developed comprehensive tools for transferring the lessons learned from past Games’, explained Fasel. ‘By combining Vancouver’s plans and the IOC’s knowledge transfer project, we are able to develop a clear roadmap for preparations in the years ahead, with the ultimate aim of delivering successful Games. The task of our Commission is to assist the organisers in their preparations. We are delighted that this process is now under way, and we look forward to working together in the years ahead. It is only natural that in preparing for such a large event as the Olympic Games we will face challenges along the way, but by laying solid foundations together today, we shall be able to face and resolve any future challenges together, working in partnership.’

The full list of the Coordination Commission members can be found on the IOC’s web site: www.olympic.org

For more information please contact
IOC Communications Department on:
Tel: +41 216 216 111, Fax: +41 216 216 351, Email: pressoffice@olympic.org or visit our website at www.olympic.org