21 Feb 2009

Winter Olympic venues completed in Vancouver

8:58 am on 21 February 2009

The construction of competition venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver have been completed, and within the $900 million dollar budget.

Officials opened the final facility, which will host curling events in the both the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, saying they had met their goal of having all the venues ready for testing a year before the Games begin.

The Games on Canada's Pacific Coast will have nine competition venues in Vancouver and surrounding communities and in the nearby mountain resort of Whistler.

Several of the facilities have already been tested by hosting international competitions.

Work continues on facilities that will house athletes and support staff in Vancouver and Whistler, which is about 120 km north of the city.