Visiting Olympians Challenged by Limits at Vancouver Venues

(ATR) Is Canada being neighborly enough? Athletes from the U.S. -- as well as Olympians from other countries - -are complaining of limited access to Vancouver facilities.

While some home team advantage is expected, these international athletes feel they've been more restricted than necessary - and it's not very sporting.

"VANOC has not been very welcoming with our presence in the past," said U.S.skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender, a two-time World Cup champion. "I'm definitely disappointed in the Olympic spirit."

Canada's luge team even skipped a World Cup event on the 1994 Olympic track in Lillehammer in mid-December so it could exercise its right to practice at the Whistler Sliding Centre. The Canadians held training sessions, plus their national championships on Dec. 17.

U.S. sliders got onto the Whistler track in late October and early November as part of two international training weeks, but they believe Canadian athletes have an unfair advantage.

Because of the unique characteristics of tracks and ski runs, familiarity with the twists and turns can breed Olympic medals. On ice sheets, conditions vary according to temperature and hardness.

"I just want to get a feel for it," said U.S.slider John Daly, who expected to get about 20 runs on the Whistler track. "Canadians will have 100 already."

The British Olympic Association has complained to the International Olympic Committee about the lack of access for skeleton athletes.

VANOC chief John Furlong told Around the Rings that the organizing committee is not playing favorites.

"We have a set of rules and they are being followed exactly like they've been given to us," he said.

He disputed a New York Times story in September that said athletes from other nations were being kept out of the venues.

"We're not, though," Furlong said. "The fact is we're following it exactly; we've given the training times we're required to -- we have to, so that's what we've done and no more than that. "

Pernilla Wiberg, an Olympic champion skier and member of the IOC Coordination Commission, told ATR that in August the group urged VANOC to give equal access to the facilities, citing the "Olympic values" of "excellence, friendship, and no discrimination of any kind."

"It should be the same way for an organizing committee," Wiberg said, "and we wanted to remind them about that. We pushed a little bit, that it should be open for everyone."

Furlong said "a lot has been said and misunderstood," and that more access was coming.

"We're trying to manage it the way we've been asked to, because there are situations I think where if we just had a free-for-all system, some countries who have tons of money and resources would be there all the time and others wouldn't be able to afford it," Furlong said.

He added that the rules are set collaboratively by the international federations and the IOC with VANOC. "We're basically handed what it is that we're required to do, and that's what we're doing."

Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC's executive vice president, sport and Games operations, said in a statement that in the last two years, VANOC has "met, or exceeded, the required access mandated by the International Federations for international teams at our competition venues."

But that doesn't address the issue of fairness.

Mike English, the USOC chief of sport performance, noted that the Canadians have "very publicly declared" their intention of safeguarding home field advantage.

Canada is funding the "Own the Podium" program with $110 million in hopes of winning 35 medals, 11 more than it won in 2006. In its promotional material, the program boasts of giving speedskaters, sliders and biathletes increased training opportunities "to ensure athletes know every inch of the course."

Germany won the medal count in Turin with 29 medals, followed by the U.S. with 25 and Canada with 24.

To top it off, Canada has never won an Olympic gold medal when it has hosted the Games (1976 Montreal and 1988 Calgary).

English acknowledged that access for U.S. athletes in Vancouver has been less than the amount given to Canadian athletes before the Salt Lake City Olympics, but he hasn't tracked the numbers.

Some U.S. speedskaters had hoped to train regularly at the Richmond Olympic Oval, but they were turned away.

"They're playing nasty," speedskater Catherine Raney told the New York Times. "I think every one of us would love to prove to them that what they did wasn't right, and we're readyto show it on the ice."

U.S. speedskater Chad Hedrick said he didn't think it was necessary to spend two months in Richmond, but that athletes should have enough time to prepare themselves.

"We've been limited to just a couple of times for training camp and other things; the Canadians on the other hand have had a significant amount of time to go and practice at the facility," he said. "Everyone should have equal rights to use the facility."

U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert even chimed in. "Those syrup-suckers won't let us practice at their Olympic venues," said Colbert, whose show has become the sponsor of the U.S. speedskating team. As a peace offering, Canada has made Colbert an ombudsman for the Olympics.

Furlong said more access was given in the early days so VANOC could get feedback from athletes on the facilities.

Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, the U.S. World Cup champion, said the Whistler run was open for testing in 2008. "Generally in ski racing, the home country always has the advantage because they're always able to train on it," she said. "That's definitely what the Canadians have."

Furlong said, however, that the alpine run has been mostly off-limits to even Canadian skiers because it's open as a ski resort almost until the Olympics. "So there won't be that much access," he said. "Whatever they're required to have, they can get. Exactly the right amount."

Vonn said she'll just have to make the most of what she remembers from the test run and the three training runs she'll have before the downhill race. "It's just a matter of having a good race plan and executing," she said.

Uhlaender counts Canadian athletes among her friends, but said they're not clamoring to help the U.S. luge team get on the track.

"It's a little tough to stand up and say anything to keep things even," she said. "Everybody wants any advantage they can get."

But she said the Canadians are going against the grain of the Olympic creed set forth by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics: "The most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to take part."

"if you go on the Olympic Web site, the quote is the exact opposite of what VANOC is exemplifying," Uhlaender said. "I think the whole world is disappointed with the show that VANOC is putting on."

Written by Karen Rosen.