2010 Memories: We look back at the moments that made headlines during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 12:00:30 +0000
Feb. 12, 2010: The day began with a tragic report from the Whistler Sliding Centre. The morning of the opening ceremony, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died after losing control of his sled and hitting a steel pole during a training run at the notoriously fast track.
That evening at B.C. Place Stadium, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (Vanoc) dedicated the opening ceremony to the fallen luger and his teammates received a standing ovation.
Over 61,000 attended the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors, enjoying a spectacle of 4,500 performers — ballet dancers, pop stars, aerialists, and a giant, sparkling spirit bear.
Everything went ahead as planned and directed by Australian producer David Atkins — save for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron: Canadian sports icons Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene Raine and Wayne Gretzky were each to light one of the cauldron’s four arms, but a hydraulic malfunction prevented Le May Doan’s arm from raising with the others.
Fortunately, there was an immediate chance for redemption: In keeping with an Olympic rule that the cauldron-lighting take place outside, Gretzky was whisked away from the arena to Coal Harbour in the back of a white pickup to light a second cauldron. There were no problems this time, and Vancouver’s Games were officially underway.