The Big Picture: Vancouver 2010 (Part 1)

Got it with a couple of The Big Picture sets... so since they are a bit of old news already, I am posting both of them today, so look for another entry just below this one.

After the Opening Ceremonies set, I was waiting for another from Vancouver and sure enough here is the wrap on Week 1:

Today is Day 8 of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Canada, almost the halfway mark, and it's time to have a look at the activities in British Columbia. Over 100 medals have been awarded so far, with the United States, Germany, Norway and Canada leading the medal race. This year's event has been nicknamed by some as the Glitch Games, with more than its share of problems, from a malfunctioning cauldron on opening night to weather problems and course troubles. VANOC officials said they were working on the issues they could control, and were optimistic as athletes continued to deliver amazing performances in the many venues around Vancouver. Collected here are some photos from Days 1-8, with more to follow in another entry after the closing ceremony. (45 photos total)

via www.boston.com

Being such an Olympics nut, I couldn't just share one photo from this set.  But of the shots, this may be my favorite with one of my newer Winter Olympic events, Snowboard Cross.

Next up, there were apparently a lot of complaints about the inaccessibility of the Olympic flame with clear shots only from a distance and thru a chain-linked fence.  As a photographer this would have seriously pissed me off (kinda like our experience in Beijing where we couldn't get onto the Olympic Green or near the Bird's Next or Water Cube unless we had tickets to an event).  So while addressing security concerns, which I am sure are very valid, they moved up and cut a hole in the fence for obscured shots of the cauldron.  Not pretty, but a nice concession to us amateur photographers!

Finally, enjoy the whimsy of this photo of Norwegian curling team.  BTW, I've turned into a curling fanatic!  Once I understood what was going on, I couldn't stop watching it!