Alisa Camplin will create further Olympic history in the early hours of tomorrow morning (AEST) when she is a torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. November 4 is especially significant as it marks the 100 day countdown to the Games.

Camplin captivated the world and made history in 2002 when the Freestyle Aerial Skier became Australia’s first female Olympic Winter Games gold medallist.

At the Torino 2006 Olympic Games, she overcame a second knee reconstruction and defied the odds to claim a stunning bronze medal, becoming the first person in history to win back to back Olympic aerial medals.  

“As one of the most beautiful places on earth, Canada was my home away from home,” Camplin said.

“I am privileged to carry the Olympic Torch through such a sporting, competitive and generous country.”

Camplin will undertake her journey with the Torch through Dawson City, Yukon on November 4 at approximately 0900 local time.

Camplin retired after Torino and will be in Vancouver for the Games, 12-28 February 2010, working as a member of the FOXTEL/Channel 9 commentary team.

There are 65 athletes from 11 disciplines in selection contention for the 2010 Australian Olympic Winter Team. You can learn all about these athletes on this site with biographies and over 50 athlete introduction videos.

The final anticipated team size is 37 athletes and hopes are high for producing our best ever Olympic Winter medal haul.

“Today being 100 days to go is a very exciting milestone for everyone involved,” Australian Olympic Winter Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said.

“It’s a landmark date and as the competition season intensifies for our athletes, they are all keenly focused on winning a berth in the team.”

Australian athletes started the consecutive medal run four games ago in Lillehammer 1994 and at Salt Lake 2002 (2 gold) and Torino 2006 (1 gold and 1 bronze) multiple medals were won.

In Vancouver, Olympic moguls champions Dale Begg-Smith will defend his title and Australia’s snowboarders, short track speed skaters and aerial skiers all have the podium in sight.

Jacqui Cooper, the world’s most prolific winner of world cup aerials medals, is undergoing a remarkable fifth Olympic Games campaign and is in great shape.

Cooper is one of many Australian athletes keeping a diary on vancouver2010.olympics.com.au. In her first diary entry she provides great footage of her waterjump training in Switzerland.

You can also watch the phenomenal sessions that cross country skier Paul Murray tackles; see the bruises from luge athlete Hannah Campbell-Pegg, the quadricep gash of short tracker Jeremy Beck and the latest from Jenny Owens.

Every athlete has an amazing story and many of the events they contest are quite mind blowing for Australians. Every athlete is about to commence a hectic competition schedule and you can follow their final qualification journey on this site.

As well as the news, athlete diaries, athlete biographies, sports and Vancouver city information video of Vancouver and venues will be rolled out throughout the countdown.

AOC