Sport Shorts: Action Heating Up

Athletes’ Village Handed Over: One hundred days from when the Olympic Winter Games come to town, Vancouver city officials officially handed over the Athletes’ Village to Olympic organizers. This eight block “Millennium Project”, built to be energy-efficient, contains 1,100 units and will house 3,000 athletes next year. In the middle of the one of the world’s most beautiful cities, the Village sits on Vancouver’s False Creek with a view of downtown and the Coast Mountains that frame the background.

Let’s Go Toronto! Canada brings another strong bid for a major international sport event to the table this week in Guadalajara, Mexico. After presentations and discussions, the final vote for who will host the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games goes down Friday at approximately 6 p.m. EST. Toronto is up against Bogota, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Watch the announcement live: www.events.digitalmedia.telus.com/toronto2015/110609/index2.php?page=register.

Speed Skaters in Montreal, Berlin: It’s a speed skating bonanza weekend, with both the short- and long-track teams in World Cup action. Starting today, the third short track World Cup gets underway in Montreal’s Maurice-Richard Arena. Tomorrow, the long-track skaters begin their first World Cup of the season in Berlin.

Figure Skaters in Japan: The NHK Trophy Grand Prix event runs today through Sunday in Nagano, Japan. Canadian figure skaters competing include Jeremy Ten, Vaughn Chipeur, Cynthia Phaneuf, pairs Mylene Brodeur-John Mattatall and Paige Lawrence-Rudi Swiegers, and ice dancers Vanessa Crone-Paul Poirier and Allie Hann-McCurdy-Michael Coreno.

Snowboarders in Switzerland: A World Cup halfpipe competition continues today in Saas Fee, Switzerland featuring athletes from 25 countries.

Scandinavian Victories: At the Four Nations Cup in Kerava, Finland, the Canadian women’s hockey team defeated Sweden 4-0 on Tuesday before taking down Finland 4-2 yesterday. The squad consists of 26 players, 21 of whom will make Canada’s Olympic roster for a shot at becoming three-peat Olympic champions.