The 2010 Olympic Winter Games- Vancouver
(Part One of Two)
My mom and I enjoying the 2010 Olympics!
It always
begins with red. Into my suitcase goes a
steady stream of Canada hats, Canada hockey jerseys, Canada t-shirts, Canada
PJs and even Canada-themed boxers!
That is how I have packed for the last two
Olympics! After my previous post on sports travel, it was requested I write
more on my experience at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2012
Summer Olympics in London. I have been very fortunate to attend both! Read on my accounts of two fascinating
sporting events that captured attention around the globe!
I won my trip to Vancouver 2010 through
Molson’s Facebook page! Molson was the
official brewery of the Olympics. Wow, did they ever pack an incredible
itinerary into four days!
I took my mom on that trip with me. She “took
me” to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary…in utero! I figured that was a fair
trade! J
The feeling of that trip was incredible
from start to finish! I remember high-fiving flight attendants as we got on the
plane. Molson then shuttled us to The Sutton Place, our beautiful hotel. We
were given tons of swag, from Team Canada hockey jerseys to VIP passes to
Molson Hockey House, a massive sports bar complex Molson had set up for the
Olympics! My mom and I made sure to enjoy some wonderful Vancouver sushi!
Molson then gave us tickets to four events!!!
On the way to the Pacific Coliseum for short-track speed skating!
On the way to the Pacific Coliseum, my
mom and I were interviewed by a Canadian doing hockey reporting for the Australian Olympic Committee! (We are at 2:25!) Our first live event was short track speed
skating, which is incredible to watch live! On TV, you don’t get a sense of the
incredible speed those athletes move at!
The heart of Canada’s Olympics was hockey,
though! We began with two of the best games of the men’s preliminary
tournament. I got a great shock realizing we would get to watch Czech Republic
vs. Russia from a luxury box! The game was fast-paced and it was a blast
watching Russian and Czech fans going crazy in the stands! In the elevator
heading down after the game with us was legendary Russian goaltender Vladislav
Tretiak, who played against Canada in the 1972 Summit Series!
Oh, yes!
After that came the crown jewel of the
Olympic prelimnary tournament- Canada vs. the United States!
Our seats were in row #7, and there were
several times I needed to pinch myself! Yep, it was real! Also, it was a really
good game! Canada Hockey Place was a sea of red and white! Canada and the US
traded goals, but eventually the US gained a 4-2 lead. In the third period,
Sidney Crosby scored to bring Canada within one goal with four minutes to go!
As the teams took a timeout, all 18 000 fans in the arena were chanting “LET’S
GO CANADA!” The volume was deafening, and being a part of that crowd is
something I will never forget!
Cheering on Canada from row #7!
In the end, Canada couldn’t pull off the comeback
that night. We finished off with a women’s hockey semi-final between the US and
Sweden. It ended 9-1 USA! Yikes.
My first Olympic experience was a breathtaking
chance to cheer on Canada on home soil! I had no idea, I would also attend the
next Olympics…
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