Välkommen, Team Sweden!
Kelowna now has a new connection with a national women’s hockey team playing in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games… and it isn’t Team Canada. Team Sweden, the women’s hockey team that won silver in the Turin Olympic Games, is now here training for their next great challenge in February 2010.
Team Sweden’s Head Coach, Peter Elander, explained that the decision to pick Kelowna as the city to train in was easy. “I was looking for a Canadian town with a solid elite ice hockey environment, a walkable town centre, great training facilities and a first-class hotel,” he said. “I was greeted with a smile from everyone from the arena staff to the waiter. When you meet so many positive people you feel this is the right place to build up a positive feeling before the biggest challenge ever in women’s hockey history – an Olympic tournament in the homeland of hockey.”
We at Tourism Kelowna are especially proud to host Team Sweden, because of the extensive effort given by our organization to bring Team Sweden to Kelowna. Nancy Cameron, Tourism Kelowna’s CEO said “We are delighted to support the Olympic spirit and tie our community into the 2010 Winter Games. Team Sweden will be staying at the Delta Grand during their training in Kelowna. They will dine at local restaurants, shop in local boutiques, and get a chance to visit our many attractions. This is a very tangible economic impact on our city resulting from the 2010 Olympics and a strategic effort on the part of Tourism Kelowna’s Sport Event Development unit,” she adds.
Team Sweden will train in Kelowna from August 16 through 29, and from January 21 to February 4, 2010, preparing for its opening game of the Olympic tournament on February 13, 2010 against Switzerland.
We are excited to have you here, Team Sweden! We hope you have a great training experience in Kelowna.
