Locals celebrate the 2012 Olympics at Vancouver’s legacy

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Locals are coming together to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at Vancouver’s legacy recreation centre.

The Creekside Community Centre is an Olympic landmark, which served as the Athletes Village during the 2010 Winter Games.

People are coming out to the centre in False Creek to watch the games on a big screen, play sports, and have fun.

For the younger people in the crowd, there’s a bouncy castle, plenty of interactive games, torch and button making, and horse hop polo.

Sixteen-year-old Maaike Bos came out to join in the festivities, which include fencing, boxing and cycling. She’s been fencing for six years, and is inspired by the Olympic athletes who compete in her favourite sport.

“They’re amazing,” she excitedly tells us. “It’s just so much fun to watch the professional fencers because they’re incredible…compared to us it’s unbelievable how fast and strong they are.
It’s inspiring to watch.”

Josh Pearson-Stubbs lives in False Creek – he simply looked out his window, saw the event, and came down.

He’s excited about introducing his five-year-old son Alastair to the world of Olympic sports.

“Cycling is what we’re watching today, or highlights from it,” he says. “With swimming, we’re excited about [Michael] Phelps, so we’re heading back to watch that. And we just watched a little bit of tennis already this morning.”

It appears many of us spent yesterday afternoon glued to the TV.

Friday’s 3.5 hour Opening Ceremony has clocked in as the most watched Summer Olympic Games start with 6.4 million Canadians tuning in.

The numbers are far above the previous Summer record holder, the Atlanta Olympic opening in 1996.

But Vancouver’s opening gala in 2010 still holds the overall Olympic record with 13.5 million Canadians watching Wayne Gretzky and company light the cauldron.

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