2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games was held in the state of Idaho
, USA from February 7 through February 13, 2009.
Nearly 2500 athletes from over 100 countries participated in the games. Dignitaries included actors, musicians, athletes and politicians from around the United States and the world. Vice President Joe Biden
presented awards to athletes, and met athletes and their families at other events on Thursday, February 12. He further announced the appointment of Kareem Dale as special assistant to the president for disability policy.
The following cities hosted the games:
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, USA from February 7 through February 13, 2009.
Nearly 2500 athletes from over 100 countries participated in the games. Dignitaries included actors, musicians, athletes and politicians from around the United States and the world. Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
presented awards to athletes, and met athletes and their families at other events on Thursday, February 12. He further announced the appointment of Kareem Dale as special assistant to the president for disability policy.
The following cities hosted the games:
- Boise
- McCall, ID
- Sun Valley
Venues
- Snowshoeing - McCall (Ponderosa State Park)
- Floor HockeyFloor hockeyFloor hockey is a family of indoor hockey games, usually in the style of ice hockey, that are played on flat floor surfaces, such as a basketball court. As in other hockey codes, players on each team attempt to shoot a ball or puck into a goal using sticks, usually with a curved end...
- Boise (Idaho Expo) - Alpine SkiingAlpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
- Boise (Bogus Basin Ski ResortBogus BasinBogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a ski area located in southwest Idaho in Boise County, 16 miles north-northeast of the city of Boise....
) - Figure SkatingFigure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
- Boise (Qwest ArenaQwest ArenaCenturyLink Arena Boise is a multi-purpose arena in Boise, Idaho. It holds 5,300 fans for ice hockey and basketball, 5,732 for end-stage concerts, 6,400 for boxing and up to 6,800 for center-stage concerts. It contains 4,508 permanent seats...
) - Speed skatingSpeed skatingSpeed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
- Boise (Idaho Ice World) - Cross-country SkiingNordic skiingNordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
- Sun Valley (Sun Valley Nordic Center) - SnowboardingSnowboardingSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
- Sun Valley (Dollar MountainDollar mountainDollar Mountain is a ski hill in south central Idaho, part of the Sun Valley ski resort. The treeless Dollar caters primarily to beginner and lower intermediate skiers; the primary mountain for advanced skiers is Bald Mountain, or "Baldy", adjacent to the city of Ketchum.Dollar Mountain is served...
)