Skip to content

COC president dismisses critics of Olympics as among worst Games ever

Olympic officials are dismissing suggestions from British media that the Vancouver Olympics are among the worst Games in history.

VANCOUVER — Olympic officials are dismissing suggestions from British media that the Vancouver Olympics are among the worst Games in history.

Earlier this week Britain’s Guardian newspaper carried a story on its website with the headline: “Vancouver Games continue downhill slide from disaster to calamity.”

The Games opened on the same day that a Georgian luger was killed in a training accident while weather issues have forced delays and cancellations in Whistler and Cypress. Even ice resurfacers have broken down at the Richmond speedskating oval.

Game officials were also forced to close the general admission section of the snowboarding venue because wet weather rendered the area unsafe. There have also been transportation issues.

But International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams says he believes the Games have been very well organized, and a VANOC spokesman says they are dealing with cards they’ve been dealt.

Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers agrees that these are still great Games despite the problems.

Chambers says Vancouver residents and Canadians in general have embraced the Olympics and media critics are not experiencing the same Games as he is.