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Okanagan hosts 100 Olympians training for nordic events
KELOWNA, B.C. - A record number of Olympians are using the Okanagan to do their final pre-Games tune-ups on local cross-country ski trails.
Several Olympic nordic event teams, including Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia and Switzerland are in the area to get ready for the Games, which kick off next Friday.
In all, eight Olympic teams totalling 100 competitors are training locally, injecting money into the economy and Olympic buzz into the region.
One of the most popular venues is the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in the North Okanagan.
Spokeswoman Julie Melanson says Norwegian biathlon shooting coach even gave some visiting Australian juniors some tips.
"They say that's what the Olympics is about: teams helping other teams out,'' she said.
Sovereign Lake manager Scott Lemon is also spending a lot of time with athletes and their coaches at the two biathlon ranges, getting tips he can pass on to Okanagan athletes.
The Norwegian biathlon team has been training there and at nearby Silver Star Mountain Resort for the past two weeks.
The region has been a popular training ground for nordic competitors for years.
The German and Swedish teams that trained at Silver Star won 12 medals during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Most teams are staying at Silver Star 10 to 16 days, resulting in $125,000 in total revenue for the resort.
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