John Furlong, president of the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee, known as VANOC, said Wednesday the next 365 days will be full of opportunities as well as challenges.
"Our view is that we will this year invest VANOC’s money, $1.3 billion, into this community. Our partners will match that easily, and then there will be all of the visitors' spending that comes with that," said Furlong, who was in Whistler, B.C., for the countdown celebrations.
"The Olympic Games, not only are they going to be an enormously inspired event for the community and the country, but they are in effect going to be a much-needed stimulus package in this area."
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said that from what he has seen, the Games - which open exactly one year from Thursday - appear to be on track.
"I have been extremely pleased by the progress of the organization," Rogge told an evening news conference.
"All the infrastructure is almost ready.... We are in the full phase of the test events. The athletes and the federations tell us that these test events are very well organized. So I think everything bodes well for the future of the Games," he said.
Olympic officials will unveil the design of the Olympic torch in Whistler on Thursday morning at one of two major ceremonies. Between now and the start of the Games on Feb. 12, 2010, the torch will travel 45,000 kilometres across Canada through dozens of different climates and conditions in every province and territory.
In the suburbs of Vancouver, government and Olympic officials will gather for a celebration at the speedskating oval in Richmond, where Rogge will issue his official invitation to the world's ath...