From the U.S. Ski Team:

Olympic champion Picabo Street (Park City, UT), who dominated her sport in the 1990s, headlined a group of 15 finalists for consideration to be named to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, presented by Allstate. Street, along with Paralympic champions Greg Mannino (Eagle, CO) and Sarah Will (Vail, CO), were named finalists Thursday at a press conference in Chicago, the USA's bid city for the 2016 Olympics.

The public will have a say in the hopeful selection of the U.S. Ski Team athletes. From now through June 16, fans can cast their votes for the 2009 class of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame online at www.teamusa.org. The inductees will be revealed in early July and will be honored at a black-tie induction ceremony on August 12 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame is the only national sports Hall of Fame that includes fan voting.

=> Read more!

From the U.S. Ski Team:

One of America's greatest Olympic champions, Andrea Mead Lawrence, passed away Monday at her home near Mammoth Mountain, CA at the age of 76. A three-time Olympian, she played a pivotal role in establishing the United States as an alpine power against the traditional Europeans and Scandinavians, winning two gold medals in the 1952 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo.

She grew up skiing at Vermont's Pico Peak and competed in the 1948 Olympics at just 15. In 1952, she captured both the slalom and giant slalom, following in the footsteps of teammate and double medalist Gretchen Fraser from 1948. She is generally credited as having ushered in the modern era of alpine skiing in the Olympic Winter Games.

"Andrea Mead Lawrence was one of the most respected champions of all time," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "As a teenager, she led by her example of perseverance in never giving up. Nearly a half century later, she remains a distinguished role model for today's athletes."

Lawrence took slalom gold by winning the second of two runs by a remarkable two seconds – after she had fallen in the first. Her effort later earned her recognition by noted Olympic film producer Bud Greenspan as his number one Winter Olympian. She made it three Olympics in 1956, finishing fourth, just one spot away from a bronze, in Cortina.

Throughout her life, she has remained one of America's most foremost spokespersons for her sport and the Olympics. She was inducted in the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1958 and was recently nominated by the USSA for consideration for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

From VANOC:

Mark your calendars — Phase 2 starts June 6 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time).

The next phase of Vancouver 2010 Olympic tickets go on sale Saturday, June 6 on a first-come, first-served basis. During Phase 2, all Canadian residents can purchase tickets directly through vancouver2010.com*ERROR* (#malformed) or by calling the Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre at 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387).

More information will be available as we get closer to June 6. Be sure to watch your inbox for updates from vancouver2010.com

Don't forget — Paralympic tickets go on sale May 6, 2009

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and five sports (64 medal events!) of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games go on sale Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

Visit vancouver2010.com to learn more about the Paralympic Winter Games, including sport information , the Competition Schedule and ticket prices.

Thank you for your support of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.