Olympics Notebook: Vancouver 2010

Olympic icon carries hands-off warning

The hot Olympic ticket for those without tickets to the Games seems to be a trip down to the Vancouver waterfront to see the four-pronged metal cauldron where the Olympic flame is burning.

Except that heading down to the waterfront means joining tens of thousands of others with the same idea, and obeying the strident instructions from Olympic volunteers trying to herd the horde in the right direction without letting people fall under a bus.

It’s a slow trek through the crowds, with disappointment at the end. The flame, symbol of the Games, is half-hidden behind hoardings and a tall chain-link fence, both to protect the public and to stop anti-Games protesters getting their hands on it.

Organizers promise to look at ways to replace the ugly fence with something somewhat more photogenic, but right now the message seems to match the sign: “No Trespassing.”

Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Welcome to our live blog on a big day for Vancouver, as the city welcomes the world for the Winter Olympics. The opening ceremony doesn’t get started for another eight hours or so but we’ll be here all day to keep you posted on the torch relay through the city and all the excitement travelling with it.

Canada can’t wait for that golden moment

Canada has a reputation as a slow starter at the Olympics, but the country may be poised to end a two-Games gold-medal drought on home soil … and it could even come on the first full day of competition.

There is so much excitement for that elusive gold medal that Canadian lugers have been offered a $1 million bonus from their title sponsor if they can earn a spot atop the podium.

Manuel Osborne-Paradis, who has a pair of recent victories on the World Cup circuit, will get the country’s first shot at ending the drought early on Saturday in downhill skiing.

But Canada’s best shot at striking gold that day will be with freestyle moguls skier Jenn Heil, who won a gold medal on the first day of competition in Turin four years ago and is expected to successfully defend her title.

The Canadian men’s ice hockey team are tipped by many to win a gold medal, but the finals for that event are not until Feb. 28. Other sports that could produce a gold medal for Canada include women’s hockey, men’s and women’s curling and speed skating.

At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, Canadians didn’t win any medals until after the first week of competition.

And the CEO of Own the Podium — a $117 million five-year plan to help Canadian athletes dominate in the Summer and Winter Games — even said he did not expect Canada to challenge for the overall medals lead until the last few days of ther Games.