Vancouver - Officials were still working Tuesday to get the freestyle ski and snowboard venue ready as Vancouver geared up for the start of the winter Games. The continuing mild weather, with the forecast of rain later in the week, appeared to be the one major concern for officials with three days to go before the opening ceremony.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge was full of praise for the athletes' village during a tour, and had further plaudits for the Vancouver Games organizers when he opened the IOC Session later in the evening.
Meanwhile Olympic officials said a drugs testing programme was well underway, with more than 300 athletes controlled so far.
The international media were taken for the first time to the Cypress Mountain venue where a massive operation to bring in snow was still continuing ahead of the freestyle ski and snowboarding.
Dick Vollet, the organizing committee's vice-president of mountain operations, said there "is still work to do" but there were no plans to move events elsewhere.
"We are very positive about how the venue is coming together, given we are fighting Mother Nature and sometimes she's not so forgiving," he said.
At the Whistler Mountain venue, scene of alpine ski, nordic ski and sliding events, there are no snow concerns but mild temperatures and the prospect of rain is a worry.
Men's downhill training on Wednesday has been brought forward to avoid the course becoming too soft later in the day.
In Vancouver, Rogge and members of the IOC executive board toured the 1-million-dollar waterfront athletes' village where about 2,700 athletes and officials will be staying during the Games.
He also attended an Olympics Truce ceremony, a traditional Olympics initiative calling for a cessation of hostilities during the Games.
Rogge, who has opted to stay in the athletes' village ever since he was elected IOC president in 2001, said he expected to sleep in the village 40 per cent of the time.
"Everything that I have seen is really outstanding," he said.
"It's a prime location, good quality building with lots of comforts for the athletes. It's also going to leave a great legacy for the city."
Rogge said that people who had experienced more Games "tell me that it's the best village they have ever seen."
Opening the IOC Session later, Rogge called on athletes to uphold the Olympic values at a Games free of doping.
He also praised the local organizers, saying the lessons learned in Vancouver were a blueprint for future Olympics.
The IOC, responsible for anti-doping management during the Games,
