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Canada becomes the center of the sporting world tonight with the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The World’s Katy Clark offers a preview of the Games, which run through February 28.

• BBC coverage of the Vancouver Olympics
• Winter Olympics photo gallery
• Vancouver 2010 homepage
• On The World: The Numbers Behind the Olympics

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MARCO WERMAN: Mild winters are not unusual for Vancouver, British Columbia.  This one has been especially wet too but starting today organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver will have something other than the weather to talk about.  It’s time for the athletes to do their thing.  Spectators should still keep their umbrellas handy though.  The World’s Katy Clark previews the games, which officially open tonight.

KATY CLARK: The ten day forecast for Vancouver calls for rain and temperatures reaching the low 50s.  Still the Canadian hosts aim to make this the best winter games ever.

JOHN FURLONG: If you want to make a difference smile, even if you’re not having a good day and it breaks the world.

KATY: That’s Chief Executive of the Vancouver Organizing Committee John Furlong instructing volunteers to smile at everybody and to give visitors a warm happy Canadian hug.   Meantime Canada’s hoping to scoop up a record number of medals.  Canada’s always strong in hockey.  The country is also expected to be a metal contender in the Winter Games’ newest addition, skicross.

MALE: It’s the all important web section, very critical to have your time just right in here Todd…

KATY: Skicross features four skiers racing down a course simultaneously.  They encounter jumps, banks and whatever else the designers dreamt up.  Skicross is making its Olympic debut after winning over fans at the X Games.  Another sport Canada is hoping to dominate is curling.  But Canada will have some competition this year from China.  China set its sights on winning a curling medal several years ago and hired a Canadian coach to turn them into contenders.  A lot of attention in Vancouver will also be on the African athletes competing.  Seven African nations will be represented.  None is expected to win any medals, but that’s not worry skier [PH] Qwame Ncruma Acheampong of Ghana.  The Snow Leopard as he’s known hopes to inspire young boys and girls in Ghana to believe that nothing’s impossible, not even a skier from a country with virtually no snow.

QWAME ACHEAMPONG: I am a guinea pig and an experiment.  If I can make my experiment work, then is approaching easier for the youngsters,

KATY: Pakistan is also making it’s alpine skiing debut in Vancouver and Iran will send it’s first ever female to the Winter Games.  Of course it can’t be an Olympics without a doping scandal.  Russia was recently warned to get its anti-doping program together after several of its athletes tested positive for banned substances.  Officials are keeping a close eye on Russia, which hosts the next Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.  Lest we forget women’s figure skating this year’s biggest rivalry is between a South Korean and a Japanese skater.  And in case you’re wondering about the mascots for the Vancouver games…

[MASCOT CLIP]

KATY: Sumi is an animal spirit who wears the hat of an orca whale, flies with the wings of a mighty thunderbird and runs on the legs of a bear.  Quachi is a young Sasquatch and Miga is part killer whale and part bear.  All three draw on native legends of the Pacific Northwest and they’re pretty darn cute.  Just the type of little guys who can help sell a lot of Olympic merchandise.  For The World this is Katy Clark.

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