Fact and Figures | Olympic/Paralympic Winter Games Events

Whistler Olympic Park: Venue Description

Construction of the venue is estimated at $119.7 million and was jointly funded by the governments of Canada and British Columbia
The compact, one-square-kilometre Olympic Games venue core area includes three separate venue stadiums (cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping) located about 400 metres apart; technical sport buildings at each of the stadiums; day lodge; 14 kilometres of biathlon and cross-country competition trails and two ski jumps (normal hill and large hill).
The two-year construction project also included an additional 35 kilometres of training and recreational ski trails; sewer, water and power services; access and internal roads; maintenance building; parking lots and other related infrastructure facilities.
The spectacular 11,000 square-foot day lodge is located between the ski jumps and the cross-country skiing stadium and will become the centre of the venue during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The day lodge will also serve as the hub and starting point for pre- and post-Games recreational activities.
The Olympic Winter Games venue capacity is 12,000 people per day in each of the three stadiums.
The Paralympic Winter Games venue capacity is 6,000 people per day.
The venue has approximately 5 kilometres of rollerski trails and 6 kilometres of lit trails to enhance athlete training opportunities.
The only snowmaking system at the venue is for the ski jump landing hill.
Over the last few years, the average amount of snow on the ground during the time of the Olympic Winter Games in February has been 191 centimetres.
Over the last few years, the average daily high temperature during the time of the Olympic Winter Games in February is +3.3°C and the average daily low is -4.0°C. The average daily mean temperature is -0.4°C
The elevation of the venue is 840m–930m.
After the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the venue will be operated under the direction of the Whistler Legacies Society, supported by a $120 million endowment trust established by the federal and provincial governments as part of their 2010 Winter Games venues investment.

Whistler Olympic Park: Olympic Winter Games Events

28 total events (1/3 of all Olympic Winter Games events)

Biathlon (10 events)
Cross-country skiing (12 events)
Nordic combined (3 events)
Ski jumping (3 events)

Whistler Paralympic Park: Paralympic Winter Games Events

32 events (1/2 of all Paralympic Winter Games events)

Cross-country skiing (22 events)
Biathlon (10 events)

Whistler Olympic Park: Cross-Country Skiing Venue

The cross-country venue includes a 6,000 square-foot technical building, 10 kilometres of competition trail in two distinct 5 kilometre loops and a 150 metre-long stadium area.
Athletes will ski at an average speed of 25 kilometres per hour during cross-country ski races, reaching maximum speeds near 60 kilometres per hour.
During the men’s 50 kilometre race, the athletes will climb approximately 2,000 vertical metres (more than twice the vertical of the men’s downhill course at Whistler Creekside). The winning time for this race is expected to be approximately 2 hours.

Whistler Olympic Park: Biathlon Venue

The biathlon venue includes a 6,000 square-foot technical building, 4 kilometres of competition trails, a 150 metre-long stadium and state-of-the-art shooting range.
The biathlon stadium’s range consists of 30 lanes with a fully electronic target system able to detect and report the precise time and location of each bullet fired. The distance from the shooting line to the targets is 50 metres.
When the biathletes are shooting prone (lying down), the target is 45 millimetres in diameter or about the size of a plum. When they are shooting standing, the target is 115 millimetres in diameter or about the size of a grapefruit.
Biathletes use specially designed .22-caliber rifles with real bullets.
During Olympic competitions, the biathletes will shoot approximately 10,000 rounds of bullets.
A temporary, portable 10-metre air and laser rifle biathlon range will be set up in the cross-country stadium for the Paralympic biathlon events.

Whistler Olympic Park: Ski Jumping Venue

The ski jumping venue includes the large hill and normal hill ski jumps, coaching stands and a state-of-the-art technical building known as the judges’ tower.
Jumping hills have three distinct parts: the in-run where the jumpers gain speed and take off into flight; the landing hill which the jumpers fly over and then land on; and the outrun area at the bottom used to stop.
The in-runs include one of the world’s most sophisticated ski jump snow refrigeration and track setting systems.
Takeoff speed on the in-run can reach 89 kilometres per hour (normal hill) and 96 kilometres per hour (large hill).
The angle of takeoff is 11 degrees below the horizontal plane and the maximum in-run and landing hill slope angle is 35 degrees.
The jumper’s flight path is only 2 to 3 metres above the landing hill.
On the normal hill, the maximum flight distance down the landing hill is 106 metres. On the large hill, the maximum flight distance is 140 metres. This distance is known as the hill size and is often used to identify the jump hills.
The elevation difference from the top of the in-run to the bottom of landing hill is 100 metres.
A ski jumper’s V-style flight position provides the maximum aerodynamic lift as 30 per cent of the lift is derived from the skis and the remainder from the body.
Ski jumpers are judged 50 per cent on style and 50 per cent on distance.

Whistler Paralympic Park

All Paralympic cross-country skiing and biathlon events will start and finish from the Olympic cross-country stadium and will use parts of both the Olympic cross-country and biathlon competition trails.
Competition courses include a 5-kilometre course for the standing classes and a specially designed 3.75-kilometre course for the sit-ski classes.
Since 1992, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have been held in the same Host City, separated by just a few days.

Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park: Sustainable Venue Attributes:

Provincial (BC EAO) and federal (CEAA) environmental assessment review for core competition venue and legacy recreation trails.
Smart site selection — previously harvested forest, adjacent to a former mine, significant commercial and public recreational use.
Minimized site disturbance and overall footprint including approximately 30 per cent reduction of overall venue footprint compared to initial design; design changes to avoid disturbing old growth forest and wetlands within core competition venue; and reduced stream crossings.
On-site waste wood re-use for temporary operations compounds and innovative on-site composting for green-up material.
On-site waste water treatment plant to use leading technology (tertiary membrane filtration and ultraviolet disinfection) for high quality discharge to local surface water, built to accommodate pre-Games and post-Games user numbers.
Assured economic opportunities for Squamish and Lil’wat Nations (Shared Legacies Agreement). Squamish Nation- and Lil’wat Nation-owned companies awarded contracts for site preparation, building construction and construction of recreational trail network.