CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2014 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES Team Greenland, Chef de Mission First I would like to thank the host society 2014 for their great hospitality and made us feel welcomed! I know there must have been many sleepless nights for making all happen so well organized. Great thanks to Ian, Karen, Holly and the rest of the crew for their great efforts to help us and I would like to congratulate them for their big success for organizing the AWG 2014! I would also like to thank the chefs and assistant chefs and their mission staff for their professionalism, help, patience and understanding for us new ones. We have learned a lot from you guys! You have been an inspiration to me, my assistant chef and our mission staff. Last and not least I would like to thank all the volunteers of the AWG 2014! You have made us feel welcomed with your golden hearts, smiles and devotion to your jobs! I know it would have been very difficult for the host society to succeed without your great help. Welcome / Arrival Services It was good arrival and what a great welcome committee at the airport! The athletes felt very welcomed. The Greenlandic delegation arrived in the early afternoon and couldn t enter their accommodation before 8 pm. Our athletes were brought directly to the culture center to pass the time, and that was unpleasant for many especially after such a long trip. Registration and accreditation Registration and accreditation went smoothly. I understand that there were some misunderstanding for registration of guests and observers but that was quickly solved. Opening Ceremonies The opening ceremony went smoothly and it was easy for the athletes. The ceremony was not long; staging for the teams was too long too long waiting time backstage.
Team Accommodations Some of the classrooms were too small to accommodate that amount of athletes. Bunk beds, luggage and sport equipment add all together crowded the classrooms. Since the beginning of the chefs meetings in Fairbanks, we made clear that the air conditioning in the classrooms had to be turned off because it was too cold during the nights, and the Greenlandic people are not used to the air conditioning so many of them caught the cold. It was very unfortunate no one were able to do anything about it. The bunk beds were uncomfortable, and that resulted in many of our athletes had to buy inflatable madrasas after few days sleeping on the bunk beds. Food Service / Village Dining It was very good food. The food and snacks were delicious and there were drinks for everyone. We were told that the food was better than the previous games. The hours of service were very good. The hosts planned well for late night matches and games, and teams were not left on their own to find food after evening games. Thanks to Amy for being so flexible and helpful. Awarding Ceremonies They were neat and worked well. But in Snowboarding we definitely agree with all athletes and coaches, and spectators, who were confused because the winners were just pointed without showing any proper scores and records. IT / Communication The IT worked fine. Some of the phones were not working in the beginning but were quickly solved, and the phones were very useful! The IT support received from the host society was really good and appreciated. Also, getting information through the internet worked really well and it was easy. Mission Office, Services and Accommodation It was excellent and nothing to complain about. The location of the hotel was a bit remote but very quite and nice! The office was central and the service at the office was good as well. We also appreciated the coffee and snacks that were accessible for Mission staff!
Cultural Program and Facilities Team Greenland was very satisfied about the cultural program. We attended the Gala, which was very well done, in a beautiful facility. We were extremely proud of our cultural participants. Well done everyone! Medical Services / Polyclinic The medical team was very thorough and professional and very helpful. Thank you for taking good care of our athletes. I was disappointed though when some of our athletes were sent to Tanana Valley Clinic instead of the Memorial Hospital. Using our insurance for treating our athletes at the hospital was no problem, but was not eligible at the Tanana Valley. That was unpleasant, and we had to pay a big amount of cash for treatment. Transportation during the Games The transportation with busses during the games worked well. It was easy to get to the dining facility and to the accommodations. Thanks to the bus schedule in the participant guide. Closing Ceremonies The closing ceremony was an excellent piece of work and it was not long ways. We also want to mention that the entertainment at the opening and closing ceremony, were focusing at the athletes (young people) the fact is a good sign for the young athletes and it was fully satisfactory. But again, too long waiting time backstage. We appreciated that the host society managed to feed the athletes after the closing ceremonies; otherwise it would have been a long night for everyone. Send Off and Departure The departure worked effectively. But there were some confusion and misunderstandings at the accommodations regarding handing out the boarding passes. So many boarding passes were sent to Lathrop and we had to look for them before reaching Lathrop. We were in line to go through the security for 2 ½ hours and our flight was delayed and nearly missed our TSA. But I understand that wasn t part of the planning it s just the way it is at the airport facility. Luckily none of our luggage was left behind.
Sports Schedule Went very well in general, not so many changes according to our teams. Greenland attended 11 categories. Alpine Skiing - Everything went well - Great venue Arctic Sports - Generally everything went well - Organization and staying to schedule was much better than previous Games of what I have heard. Badminton - Very well done - The venue was too far away for the athletes they didn t had time to see other sports. Basketball Great event! The age difference was unfortunately too vast. Cross Country Skiing - Described as one of the best Arctic Winter Games in regards to food, transportation and competition. Dene Games - Generally good - Some confusion on the awarding of overall medals Indoor Soccer - Overall, very positive comments Snowboarding - It was a wonderful event and a well presented facility. Again announcing the winners were a bit confusing. One of our participants broke his arm unfortunately. Table Tennis - Fun experience for all participants Volleyball - Very positive experience for all the athletes, coaches
Cultural Program and Facilities Team Greenland was very satisfied about the cultural program. We attended the Gala, which was very well done, in a beautiful facility. We were extremely proud of our cultural participants. Well done everyone! Inuss. / Med venlig hilsen /Best Regards / Grønlands Idrætsforbund / Angusat peqqinnermik naleqartitat ataqatigiilluarnikkut Resultater og sunde værdier igennem et stærkt fællesskab Chef de Mission Lauritz Heilmann Tlf. +299 34 81 51 Mobil +299 59 39 85 Postboks 84 3900 Nuuk Grønland www.gif.gl www.facebook.com/timersoqatigiit