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February 13, 2010 | number 3 The Dutch newspaper in Olympic Vancouver

Canucks cheer the Dutch

Lots of Canadian fans were present in the Medal Ceremony Hall of the Holland Hei- great three hour lasting show with musical artists like Bryan Adams and Nelly Fur-
neken House yesterday, when bobsledder Timothy Beck proudly showed the Dutch tado and Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky as the final torchbearer the 2010
national flag at the opening ceremony in BC Place, downtown Vancouver. With a Olympic games are finally ready to go. Photo: Sander Stoepker

Underwear for
Haiti victims
Snowboarder Hannah Teter from the
U.S. Olympic Team supports Doctors
Without Borders by selling underwear.
Teter, who won a gold medal on the
half-pipe event during the 2006 Olym-
pics, donates 5 dollar for each pair sold.
Teter hopes to raise 100.000 dollar for
the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
The underwear can be purchased on
sweetcheekpanties.com. Photo: ANP
2 The Daily Dutch International
Luger from Georgia
dies after crash
Eighty-five countries,
A great shock went through the Olympic family
after the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. The
Georgian luge athlete crashed during the final
training session at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
all united as One
The opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympics Canadians. Actually, I almost feel like a Canadian
In the final turn, Kumaritashvili fell of his luge was the first televised event in the Holland Hei- already. We just need to wait until they arrive on
and slammed into a steel post. Doctors were neken House. A large crowd enjoyed the atmosp- screen.”
unable to revive the athlete, who died in the here, but didn’t forget their heritage. With so many nations present, you would expect
hospital. During the opening ceremony of the lots of European and Asian flags. But of all the 85
Olympics, IOC president Jacques Rogge asked By Mathijs Vuister participating countries, you can only find the natio-
for a moment of silence to commemorate the nal flags of the Netherlands and Canada.
deceased Georgian. However, Georgia confir- They all wear something red, carry a beer in each Mark Sanderson, a man with Scottish and Scan-
med they will be taking part of the Olympics. hand and love to shout ‘Go Canada Go’. But when dinavian blood, doesn’t think that Canadians are
it comes to their native country, Canadians always very patriotic. “It’s got to be the Olympic games,
carry a special place in their heart. no doubt about it. If you were here a few weeks ago,
No final ski practice “We’re a relative young country,” says Kevin. His
‘opa’ and ‘oma’ were Dutch, but he was born in Ca-
you wouldn’t have found any Canadian flags. But
with the Olympics in British Columbia, suddenly
due to bad weather nada. “But we all know where we are coming from.
Every Canadian has two teams to cheer for: their
everybody took out his national jerseys.”
When bobsledder Timothy Beck shows the Dutch
The bad weather conditions in Whistler homeland, and Canada.” red, white and blue to the crowd in BC Place, mul-
mountain makes it impossible for the female It’s for sure it’s not only Dutch and Canadians in tiple hands go up in the air. Even some Canadians
alpine skiers to have a decent final practice. the Medal Ceremony Hall. When China enters BC put their hands up.
Therefore, the competition leaders decided to Place, you can hear a cheerful roar going through But when Canada’s Clara Hughes arrives, the Hol-
postpone the ladies’ super combined the Minoru Arenas. The same counts for Japan and land Heineken House explodes. It doesn’t matter
race for tomorrow until all the women can Ireland. what your heritage is, for a moment, everybody in
practice one final time. The first men’s event, “Unfortunately, I’ve got nothing to cheer for,” says the arena feels the same.
the downhill, is still planned for today, because Matt. With two of his friends he is drinking a beer Even Mark, who at first looks like a easy going guy,
the men did practice on Thursday. in the grandstand. “I was born in the Philippines, pumps his fist of joy and screams his lungs out. “I’m
and my parents are still there. But I’m living in sorry man, but I couldn’t help it. I think that’s what
Canadians exit Canada for thirteen years now, so I’ll root for the the Olympic games are doing to you.”

Canada’s ski jumping team will not participate


in the normal hill competition today. Trevor
Olympic memory

Ard Schenk2006
Morrice, Stefan Read, Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes
and Eric Mitchell were not able to make it
through the qualification round.

Standing behind the bar of the Holland Hei-


Programme neken House in Turin, Dutch speed skating
legend Ard Schenk finally found out what it’s
Today like: the Olympic feeling where everybody
8.30 pm - Start entertainment with perfor- was talking about.
mances by the Coronas, DJ Ronald and Marco
Borsato By Rens Lieman
2.00 pm - Holland Heineken House closes
Certainly, the man from Anna Paulowna knew his Ard Schenk with Yvonne van Gennip Photo: ANP
Tomorrow way around at the Olympics. In 1964 (Innsbruck),
9.00 am - Holland Heineken House opens 1968 (Grenoble, 1 silver medal) and 1972 (Sappo- Kees Verkerk en Yvonne van Gennip. we even got a
8.00 pm - Start entertainment with performan- ro,3 gold medals) he participated in several events, few lessons how to create the perfect beer.
ces by DJ Ronald, the Coronas and Jan Smit winning three gold and one silver medal. Neverthe- I had time of my life. Finally, I got the chance to
less, Schenk had his best Olympic memory in 2006. experience how the games should have been;
“You should know, I’ve never had much fun when standing behind the bar serving drinks with the
I was at the Olympic games. We needed to skate crowd going wild. For a little while I felt like a
outdoors and for some reason there was always real pub-keeper and I think it worked out pretty
Colophon The Daily Dutch something wrong. During the Innsbruck games, a well. Although I was tapping beer for customers,
Swedish official gave his fellow-countryman a huge I would drink a few as well. A good pub-keeper
Tobias Bos, Pim Brassien, Twan Clarijs, Richard advantage. I also remember the games in Japan, participates in the fun.
Geeve, Marlot Hak, Paul de Lange (coordinator), where Olympic volunteers were scraping off the After our job was done in the Holland Heine-
Rens Lieman, Gert-Jan Peddemors (coordinator), top layer of the ice. ken House, we went into town where we could
Marjolein Reezigt (lay-out), Ingrid van Rooijen, No, if I need to make a decision about my best eat calmly. That evening was my most precious
Femke van der Veen, Mathijs Vuister (editor). Olympic moment, it has to be one as a spectator at moment. There is one thing I have to admit: Kees
The international edition of The Daily Dutch is made by the games. In 2006, Heineken asked me to act in a Verkerk is a better pub-keeper. After all, Kees is
students from the School of Journalism in Utrecht, commercial with former speed skaters Leo Visser, a pub.
The Netherlands

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