Vancouver-bound

Olympic flag raised in Vancouver
Last Updated: Tue Feb 28 23:04:18 EST 2006
CBC Sports

The countdown to the Vancouver Winter Games officially got underway Tuesday when Mayor Sam Sullivan presided over the raising of the Olympic flag during a ceremony at Vancouver City Hall.

An honour guard made up of the Vancouver police ceremonial unit along with the Vancouver Fire Department brass band, played as the massive 5-by-7.5 metre flag was unfurled.

Sullivan was beaming as the Olympic banner slowly made its way up the newly-built 25-metre flagpole. As it reached the top, a gust of wind caught the banner and the crowd erupted into applause.

The flag will stay at city hall until the Games begin in February of 2010.

"So now the world's eyes are on Vancouver," said John Furlong, the head of Vancouver's Olympic organizing committee.

"And as we look up at this flag – as it looks down on our city – we will be reminded of the responsibility we have taken on. We will be reminded of the promises that we've made to stage truly great Games for the world."

The Olympic flag has been passed from host city to host city since the 1952 Winter Games in Oslo.

But the flag that was raised on Tuesday isn't the same one Sullivan took from International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge and proudly waved from his specially-equipped wheelchair during the closing ceremony.

It's a replica flag flying on the lawn of city hall that will be replaced every six months. The replacements are manufactured in Vancouver.

A tired-looking Sullivan arrived in British Columbia with the flag on Monday. He said being at the Olympics was like nothing he's ever experienced before. He also admitted there were some anxious moments in the hours before the closing ceremony.

"I never had a billion people watch me do anything, and I also realized that I had to think what this was all about," Sullivan said.

"It was all about the athletes. It was about people striving to be their best."

Canadian athletes combined to win 24 medals at the Torino Games – Canada's best-ever medal haul.

Canada's previous best total was 17 medals. That plateau was reached in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Games.

Canadian Olympic officials are hoping to do even better in Vancouver. The goal is to win 35 medals and finish atop the medal standings.

I'm always a little sad when the Olympics, much like any big sporting event like the Tour de France, ends. It is always such a great distraction from the normal prime-time crap found on TV. Luckily the Commonwealth Games are starting in a few weeks so that will prolong the good television coverage. It will be nice to see some summer sports for a change too!

Anyone planning on going to Vancouver in 2010? I'm hoping to snag on to some event tickets when they come out for sale. It will be a great party and great time in a great city!