News Release
Record Number of Olympians Call Alaska Home
Anchorage, Alaska – Feb. 10, 2006 – This year, a groundbreaking number of Alaskans will participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, Feb. 10 - 26. Eleven Alaska athletes will compete in six sports, up from 10 Alaskans in 2002, six in 1998 and five in 1994.
Alaska’s 2006 Winter Olympics roster is impressive because of the number of Olympic athletes in proportion to the state’s population—only 643,786, with 277,000 calling Anchorage home. Although other states like California and Minnesota may be home to more Olympians, their states do not reflect the same population ratio.
The 2006 Alaska Winter Olympians include: Kikkan Randall, Nordic skier & U.S. sprint champion; Rosey Fletcher, snowboarding champion; Lars Flora, Nordic skier; Alan Alborn, ski jumping champion; Scott Gomez, two-time Stanley Cup winner; Jessica Schultz, curling champion, Pam Dreyer, hockey goal tender; James Southam, Nordic skier; Jeremy Teela, biathlete; Rachel Steer, biathlete and Jay Hakkinen, biathlete.
“The fact that so many Alaskans are participating in the 2006 Winter Olympics is a testament to the opportunities that Alaska offers for a wide variety of winter sports,” said Bruce Bustamente, President and CEO of the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau.
All but one of the Alaska Olympians are from the Anchorage area. With three downhill ski locations within 40 minutes of downtown, one of only two Nordic ski trails in the U.S. certified for international 5K, 10K, 15K and 30K competition, and two Olympic-size ice rinks, most of their training can be done in their hometown.
Chances are, if you live in Anchorage, you’ll run into an Olympian. And, when you do, it’s less of a celebrity sighting and more like running into a neighbor or a friend.
Rosey Fletcher hangs out in local hotspots while Kikkan Randall volunteers at events like the Healthy Kids, Healthy Runs. These athletes are truly hometown heroes and a huge part of the community.
Recently, members of the community, along with Mayor Mark Begich, showed their support for the Olympians by signing banners that read, “Anchorage, Alaska is Wild About You!” The banners will be sent to the 11 athletes in Italy to show Anchorage’s support for the Olympians.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by half of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. The other half goes to the Municipality’s general fund. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net.
Media Contacts:
Laura Tanis
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
ltanis@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax
Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
nlarsen@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118 direct
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