Photo essay: Vancouver catches Olympic fever

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Canadian photographer Kris Krug is no stranger to our Olympics blog. Two years ago he provided some beautiful photographs while covering the Summer Olympics in China. Being a native Canadian, in fact a resident of Vancouver, made him especially suited to snap photos of his homeland gearing up for the Games.

Vancouver Olympiad Lori Fung, with her gold medal, was present when the Olympic torch came to Vancouver City Hall. Fung was the first gold medalist awarded in the sport of rhythmic gymnastics during the 1984 Summer Olympics, which were held in Los Angeles.

The Olympic torch had an extended route through all of Vancouver, with the relay going through the city’s neighborhoods. The Vancouver City Council, accompanied by Mayor Gregor Robertson, welcomed the torch when it came to City Hall.

The Olympic village sits on the edge of False Creek. There was a bit of controversy when the athletes from Australia hung up their official Aussie flag, which is a copyrighted image. Despite some grievances with the IOC, Vancouver fought to keep the flag up.

Bombardier, the company that designed the Olympic torch for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, also designed the Olympic Line, a train that runs from the Main Street Skytrain Station to Granville Island. Bombardier has given Vancouver two of its streetcars, on loan from Brussels, Belgium. The Olympic Line is a 60-day demonstration project, so get a ride while you can.

The biggest secret of the 2010 Winter Olympics was the identity of the person who was to light the final torch in Vancouver during the official welcoming of the Games. Wayne Gretzky ended up carrying the torch from BC Place to the final outdoor giant torch at Waterfront station amid fanfare. The night ended with a fireworks-filled sky.

It was very exciting to watch the crowd gather for the opening ceremony at the German Saxony House. The place was packed with locals and visitors for the three-hour televised event. Of course, everyone went nuts when the Canadian team was ushered into BC Place.

For more images and expanded captions, visit Static Photography.

-- Kris Krug