Here’s a story from the Associated Press:

Ski jumping at Whistler Olympic Park will open the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, while the men’s hockey gold medal final at GM Place will wrap up the 17 days of competition.

The schedule for the 2010 Olympics was released Wednesday after it was approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The opening ceremonies will be Feb. 12 at B.C. Place Stadium, with ski jump qualifying the only event scheduled for Day 1.

The men’s hockey final, the 50K men’s cross-country ski race and the closing ceremonies, also at B.C. Place Stadium,

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From the U.S. Ski Team:

Cle Elum’s Pat Deneen was named to the 2008 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team today along with eight Olympians and world champion Nate Roberts of Park City, Utah.
Deneen is a 19-year-old moguls skier who is a member of Idaho’s Silver Mountain Freestyle team. Deneen made the C team.
A total of 54 athletes were named to the team highlighted by 2007 World Cup rookies of the year Scott Bahrke, Jay Bowman-Kirigin, and Heather McPhie.
“As we build toward the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the future looks good," said Freestyle team director Polly-Jo Clark. "But freestyle’s present looks pretty solid too."

Click below to see the entire roster.

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Scott Macartney, who honed his craft on Crystal Mountain, finished third Saturday in a World Cup downhill race in Italy. It is the second World Cup podium for the Olympian.

Some quotes courtesy of the U.S. Ski Team:

“It’s always hard to tell how fast you’re going. The run felt clean. I felt I was carrying good speed, but you never feel really fast. I got massive air off the Camels and I thought, ‘Uh oh’ – but I pulled it off.” – Macartney

“This is awesome. Scotty Mac has been paying his dues for a long

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Here are some of the weekend highlights from the World Cup circuit:

- Bill Demong of Vermont picked up the third World Cup win of his Nordic career by edging the field in Norway. Johnny Spillane of Colorado finished 13th.

- Four U.S. women were in the top 30 in the slalom at the Aspen Winternational. Resi Stiegler of Wyoming led the way with an 8th place finish.

- Also at the Aspen Race, Lindsey Vonn – formerly Lindsey Kildow – finished fourth in the downhill.

- Steven Holcomb of Utah and Curt Tomasevicz of Nebraska

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Some highlights from the World Cup this weekend.

- Defending World Cup champ Steven Holcomb teamed with Curt Tomasovicz to win silver in the first two-man bobsled race of the year. He also won gold in the first four-man race of the year.

- Ted Ligety just missed the podium in the giant slalom at the Birds of Prey – the only World Cup ski event on U.S. snow – but took over the lead in the World Cup stadnings. He finished fourth.

- Steven Nyman finished second in the downhill at the Birds of Prey.

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Paul McDonald of Bellevue finished second in the Super Series slalom this morning in the first Super Series slalom of the year in Winter Park, Colo.

Cody Marshall of Vermont was third and Frenchman Thomas Fanara won the race.

From Team USA:

McDonald, the 2004 NCAA slalom champion for Dartmouth College, is in his third season with the U.S. Ski Team. He was idle most of last winter because of a continuing lower back problem, but solid rehab has him back on track.

“The second run was super tight, had a very quick rhythm and was

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Meet Sumi, Quatchi and Miga

mascots for the 2010 Winter Games. The mascots were announced earlier today.

Click here for more info on the Vancouver 2010 website. Among other

things you can play recycling games and see what mascot you are most

like.

The site crashed my browser every time I visited today, so you might

want to wait a day or two before you visit – if you can contain your

excitement that long.

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The Vancouver Organizing Committee met this morning in Richmond, B.C., to tour the Richmond Speedskating Oval.

Click below to read the statement the committee released after the game. Topics include a venue construction update.

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