Austrians return to Sun Peaks
Former Olympic gold medallist Benjamin Raich and his Austrian teammates are back at Sun Peaks, getting ready to head to Whistler.
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Updated: February 09, 2010 11:37 AM
The Austrians are back.
Just days before the opening ceremony at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the Austrian downhill team has returned to Sun Peaks for its final pre-Olympic preparations.
The Austrian ski team has been making use of the hill just north of Kamloops for five years, and it jumped at the opportunity to use the local slopes prior to the Olympics.
“I think the snow [at Sun Peaks] is pretty similar to the snow at the Olympics and that’s a good advantage,” women’s team member Lizz Goergl said in November, when the squad was at Sun Peaks preparing for the World Cup circuit.
“And when you come from Europe, you have the time change and everything and it’s good to have a hill where you can get slowly ready for it.”
Unlike earlier training sessions, the Austrian national snowboard team will also be prepping at Sun Peaks this week.
The Austrians aren’t the only ones making use of Kamloops-area facilities in preparation for Vancouver.
Three short track speed-skating squads — from the Netherlands, China and Kazakhstan — were on the big ice at McArthur Island Sports Centre last week.
The Austrians will remain at Sun Peaks for most of this week before being transported by helicopter to the athletes’ village just north of Whistler.
