Durban Olympics 2020 - Durban Looks Likely to Bid For the 2020 Summer Olympic Games

Durban in South Africa has just shown the world that it is capable of hosting a major world sports event, by its exceptional hosting of the football World Cup. Fans were welcomed into this great city by the sea and basked in the fantastic winter sunshine and temperatures averaging 25 degrees Celsius, making sipping cocktails on the beach in bright sunshine in the middle of winter a reality!

With the fantastic infrastructure of new stadia already in place, the centrepiece of which is Moses Mabhida Stadium with its distinctive and impressive arch, Durban would be the perfect choice for the Olympics of 2020. There is an abundance of fantastic Durban hotels on the beach and along the Dolphin Coast, as well as a huge choice of Bed and breakfasts and hostels that have sprung up in preparation of the World Cup. The altitude and temperature of Durban in June / July also adds to the appeal of hosting the Summer Olympics in 2020.

As an added bonus to Durban, and sure to boost the city's Olympic bid, the International Olympic Committee have selected Durban as the host city for their 2011 conference, which will surely provide all the first hand evidence they need to prove that the world class city of Durban can host the Olympic Games in 2020.

As well as the huge choice of Durban hotels and attractions, the sheer beauty of the seaside city has delighted those that have just been hosted at the World Cup, and the surrounding areas offer a huge variety of day trips to the famous game reserve of Hluhluwe Umfolozi, which is home to the Big Five. To the west is the impressive Drakensberg mountain range and the Valley of a Thousand Hills and Shakaland Zulu Cultural Village are all within easy day drives from you Durban beach hotel!

To find out more about Durban's bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as online booking for Durban hotels and Durban attractions, log onto www.durbanhotelshop.com.

Graeme Watson http://www.durbanhotelshop.com

2010 Olympic Venues

The facilities for the Vancouver Olympics will be broken down into two categories competition and non-competition venues.

Competition Venues

The Competition Olympic venues for the Vancouver Olympics will be located in four adjacent cities Whistler, West Vancouver, Vancouver and Richmond.

Vancouver is the hub of the Olympic activity, but events for the games will be spread throughout the four different locales.

Vancouver and Richmond

Vancouver is home to four main sporting venues for the 2010 Olympic Games. These sporting venues include Canada Hockey Place, Vancouver Olympic Center, Pacific Coliseum, UBC Thunderbird Arena.

These events will host events such as hockey, curling, and figure skating. Speed skating will be held at the Richmond Olympic Oval which is located in downtown Vancouver in Richmond city.

Whistler

Whistler is second only to Vancouver in its importance and number of planned events at the 2010 Olympic Games.

You will find multiple competition venues located in Whistler including The Whistler Sliding Center, Whistler Creekside, and Whistler Olympic Park/ Whistler Paralympic Park. A number of exciting events will be held at these Olympic venues including bobsleigh, luge, skeleton, and alpine skiing.

In fact, Whistler Olympic/Paralympic park alone will host a number of events including Olympic biathlon, Paralympic biathlon, Olympic cross country skiing, Paralympic cross country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping.

West Vancouver

One of the most breathtakingly beautiful Olympic venues you will visit is Cypress Mountain located in Cypress Provincial Park in the district of West Vancouver. You will find that the views of the city of Vancouver and its harbor are not to be missed, but Cypress Mountain will also host some events that shouldn't be missed. You can see the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events at this popular British Columbia ski area, during the Vancouver games.

Non-Competition Olympic Venues

There are two main locations where you will find the non-competition venues for the Vancouver Olympic Games. The non-competition venue cities include Vancouver and Whistler. The Canadian Olympic committee has set up these non-competition venues to make certain the games go of without a hitch.

Vancouver

In the city of Vancouver you will find a number of non-competition venues for the 2010 Olympic Games. These venues include BC Place, the Main Media Centre, and the Olympic/Paralympic Village. BC place is the venue in which you will attend to see the opening and closing ceremonies along with the nightly award ceremonies for the games. On the southeast side of False Creek in Vancouver you will find the Olympic and Paralympic village. You will find that the village for the 2010 Olympic games is centrally located for easy access to shopping, entertainment, ceremonies, and dining. Additionally, you may be surprised to learn that the village features sustainable housing that will be converted to a residential neighborhood after the completion of the Vancouver Olympics.

Whistler

Whistler is another important place for you to be familiar with for your trip to the Vancouver Olympics. Like Vancouver, Whistler will have a number of non-competition Olympic venues to compliment the events being held there. Whistler will have its own Olympic/Paralympic village. The newly constructed Olympic village is located in the scenic Cheakamus Valley.

The Whistler Conference Centre will house the MMC or Main Media Centre for the International press, and you can view the nightly awards ceremonies at the Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza.

Visit http://www.whyvancouver.com for more information about things to do and see in Vancouver.