Event management is a case study in multi-tasking. Event management for an international competition -- particularly at the level of the Olympic Winter Games -- is the most complex beast of all. There are many things event organizers can control....and many they cannot.
Weather conditions cannot be controlled. How event organizers react to it can be.
That's why the greatest gift that VANOC, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, gave the city of Vancouver, the province of British Columbia and all of Canada is how they responded to a rough start to Vancouver 2010.
It is a case study in pursuing excellence even in the face of adversity.
After four days marred by logistical problems exacerbated by the weather, mechanical failures and the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvilli, the Games could have slid the slippery slope of continued problems and spiraled into disaster. Failure can become defeat if individuals, teams or entire organizing committees comprised of thousands of people, stop trying in the face of mistakes, criticism or plain bad luck.
Instead, the leadership of VANOC, its management and volunteers made the adjustments needed to turn Vancouver 2010 into one of the best Winter Games in history.
To rally from the tough opening weekend of Vancouver 2010, the people behind VANOC did not have to look far for inspiration.
They needed only to witness the courage of the Georgian Olympic team which walked into the Opening Ceremonies February 12th, only hours after the training run death of their teammate Kumaritashvilli. Their body language did not hide their heavy hearts. It only reflected the sadness shared by all.
They needed only to look at Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic, who picked herself up from several broken ribs suffered in a training run to win a bronze medal for her country.
They needed only to see Joannie Rochette's steely determination to persevere in the days after the death of her mother. Persevere she did, in bronze.
Jeff Lee of The Vancouver Sun (http://www.vancouversun.com/) said it best when he wrote today that the true spirit of Olympism is the ability to overcome and to inspire.
The teammates of Kumaritashvilli did. So did Majdic and Rochette. So did countless other athletes who battled adversity at lesser but still challenging levels, bouncing back from falls, injuries and poor first runs to come from behind to win Olympic gold.
Those individual case studies of the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and inspire serve as a fitting metaphor for how VANOC responded to the obstacles of event management to deliver an excellent Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
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The Sport Market on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca
Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 12 noon PT
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Weather conditions cannot be controlled. How event organizers react to it can be.
That's why the greatest gift that VANOC, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, gave the city of Vancouver, the province of British Columbia and all of Canada is how they responded to a rough start to Vancouver 2010.
It is a case study in pursuing excellence even in the face of adversity.
After four days marred by logistical problems exacerbated by the weather, mechanical failures and the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvilli, the Games could have slid the slippery slope of continued problems and spiraled into disaster. Failure can become defeat if individuals, teams or entire organizing committees comprised of thousands of people, stop trying in the face of mistakes, criticism or plain bad luck.
Instead, the leadership of VANOC, its management and volunteers made the adjustments needed to turn Vancouver 2010 into one of the best Winter Games in history.
To rally from the tough opening weekend of Vancouver 2010, the people behind VANOC did not have to look far for inspiration.
They needed only to witness the courage of the Georgian Olympic team which walked into the Opening Ceremonies February 12th, only hours after the training run death of their teammate Kumaritashvilli. Their body language did not hide their heavy hearts. It only reflected the sadness shared by all.
They needed only to look at Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic, who picked herself up from several broken ribs suffered in a training run to win a bronze medal for her country.
They needed only to see Joannie Rochette's steely determination to persevere in the days after the death of her mother. Persevere she did, in bronze.
Jeff Lee of The Vancouver Sun (http://www.vancouversun.com/) said it best when he wrote today that the true spirit of Olympism is the ability to overcome and to inspire.
The teammates of Kumaritashvilli did. So did Majdic and Rochette. So did countless other athletes who battled adversity at lesser but still challenging levels, bouncing back from falls, injuries and poor first runs to come from behind to win Olympic gold.
Those individual case studies of the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and inspire serve as a fitting metaphor for how VANOC responded to the obstacles of event management to deliver an excellent Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
www.TheSportMarket.biz
The Sport Market on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca
Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 12 noon PT
Facebook.com/TheSportMarket & Twitter.com/TheSportMarket
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