"Will there be an Olympic spirit or will it seem like a bunch of individual world championships? Will a complicated transport network connecting far-flung venues run smoothly? Will crowds fill the arenas, rinks and stadiums despite sluggish advance ticket sales? Will the controversial sliding venue and main hockey arena feel finished following construction delays? Will the locals remain more interested in soccer than snow and ice sports?"
"When the XXV Winter Games kick off with the opening ceremony at the San Siro soccer stadium on Friday, it won't just be the athletes who are going to be tested. It's a new era for the entire Olympic movement."
"Skating sports including the return of NHL hockey players to the Olympics after more than a decade will be held in Milan; women's Alpine skiing, sliding and curling in Cortina d'Ampezzo; Nordic sports in Val di Fiemme; men's Alpine skiing and ski mountaineering in Bormio; snowboarding and freestyle in Livigno; and biathlon in Anterselva. In all, this Olympic footprint covers an area of more than nearly 10,000 square miles. That's about the size of the state of Massachusetts."
The XXV Winter Games open at San Siro stadium with events spread across northern Italy, using existing venues regardless of distance. Skating events and NHL-return hockey occur in Milan while Alpine, sliding and curling take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo; Nordic events are in Val di Fiemme; men's Alpine and ski mountaineering in Bormio; snowboarding and freestyle in Livigno; and biathlon in Anterselva. Organizers face questions about cohesive Olympic atmosphere, transportation between distant sites, ticket demand, construction delays at sliding and hockey venues, and local interest levels. The overall footprint approaches nearly 10,000 square miles, similar to Massachusetts.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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