Vancouver Olympic schedule benefits Canadian athletes

Vancouver Olympic schedule benefits Canadian athletes: "Canada's Olympic athletes, who have had millions of dollars in training pumped into them in the hopes of ending the country's at-home gold medal drought, are the biggest winners of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games event schedule.

That's the way Caroline Assalian, the Canadian Olympic Committee's executive director of Olympic preparations, sees the timetable, which was released by the Vancouver Organizing Committee Wednesday.

'I think this is a great schedule for Canadians, especially since there are possibilities for winning medals early on, which will give a psychological boost to the country,' she said.

The Games open on Feb. 12, 2010, and Canada's first medals could come as early as Day 2 in short-track speed skating, long-track speed skating and alpine skiing, traditionally strong sports for Canadians. They could end with gold in men's hockey on Day 17, the final day of the Olympics.

If Canada is serious about being No. 1 in medals in 2010, the Vancouver Organizing Committee has certainly helped with the way it constructed the complicated schedule, Assalian said. After Canada won the Games, the COC, federal government and the organizing committee set up the $110-million Own The Podium training program to give Canadian athletes the best shot at winning medals. Canada didn't win a single gold medal at the two Olympics it hosted, the"