The countdown to Vancouver has officially begun! The ”100 days out” milestone has officially marked the beginning of the race to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games — and Under Armour just secured some exclusive, behind-the-scenes video of downhill skier Lindsey Vonn, who is one of Team USA’s best hopes for gold in 2010.

As you may know, Lindsey is likely to emerge as the country’s biggest star in Vancouver, with a fierce combination of an indomitable will to win and cover-girl good looks. We had a rare chance to sit down with Lindsey and shadow her through one of her famously grueling workouts… her intensity and preparation are legendary.

This video really gives you a sense of what it takes to be a champion, and really gives you a sense of how Lindsey is ready to kick some serious butt! While Lindsey has made a handful of appearances over the last few months, this is the first inside look at her story — in her own words. It’s pretty powerful stuff and only the first of more to come!

With excitement reaching fever pitch as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are now less than 100 days away, Whistler is seeking to reassure skiers and boarders that the ski area will be largely open during the Games and subsequent Paralympics in February and March.

Traditionally resorts hosting winter games see a dip in business during Olympic year, but then increased business in following seasons. Whistler is putting a positive spon on this probability by suggesting guests who do come to the resort this season will have more of the slopes to themselves.

British Olympic Association boss Andy Hunt says preparations for the London 2012 event must not overshadow the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Speaking 100 days before the start of the Games, Hunt said he hoped more than 45 Team GB athletes would be competing.

“There’s no way that I want winter athletes to ever feel like second-class citizens,” said Hunt.

Greek officials were left red-faced after it emerged that former Olympic hurdling champion Fani Halkia, banned for doping, had run a leg of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games torch relay in Greece.

The Greek Association of Olympic winners, who had included Halkia on a list of proposed torchbearers sent to the Greek Olympic Committee, said the blunder was down to human error.

“This is an honest mistake and nothing else,” association president Giorgos Sigalas said. “It was my mistake for not checking the names of the list that was drafted here and was sent to the committee.”

Greece handed the Olympic flame to Canada, hosts of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, on Thursday for the longest domestic torch relay ever ahead of the February 12 opening ceremony.

The peaceful handover ceremony in Athens’ Panathenian stadium, site of the first modern Olympics in 1896, concluded an eight-day torch relay in Greece.

High Priestess Maria Nafpliotou, an actress, and priestesses holding olive-tree branches performed a ritual surrounding the altar, after 18-year-old figure skater Niki Georgiadou brought the flame into the windy stadium.

Ski-cross deserves its Olympic status and will offer a spectacular show at next year’s Vancouver Games, says France’s Ophelie David, the exciting young sport’s undisputed queen.

Four skiers hurtle down a twisty, bumpy track shoulder-to-shoulder with winners of heats eventually progressing to the final.

The sport will be making its Olympic debut two years after its Summer Games equivalent, BMX or bicycle motocross, successfully did so in Beijing.

Athletes and spectators will be encouraged to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu before travelling to next year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver, an official has said.

The hundreds of volunteers and staff scheduled to work during the February Games are also being urged to get vaccinated as part of Canada’s national immunization effort, which began this week.

An estimated 5,500 athletes and team officials are scheduled to be in Vancouver next year for the 17 days of competitions and they will be joined by thousands of media and spectators from around the world.

Great Britain’s top skiers and snowboarders are facing a funding crisis in the run up to February’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Snowsport GB, the national governing body, have dug themselves a financial black hole following excessive spending with debts of £300,000 reported by acting chief executive Robin Kellen back in August.

Those debts prompted the sacking of then chief executive Mark Simmers, but Kellen and non executive chairman Oliver Jones, were eventually able to arrange a four-year, £350,000 loan with a variety of backers and with the support of lead sponsor British Land.