The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 1

HAM fill AO flTICST) i ii 11 isi it ii rw ii nil uniuuvnuiyuiiiiw unuuivnu uiii vein ii vi DAMAGED. WESTCOAST NEWS, Bl bsxtoi niMHiBM 1 1 ms TT I rill himiiimiiii. TT T. TM A TV Ti TT TT TTT TTT IV 1 TT TV breaking news at vancouversun.com SERIOUSLY WESTCOAST SINCE 1912 FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2008 ah mm -saw. Mips, i if-" EXPECTING MEDALS Canada's swirnming chances are good, but it's a faster pool now, says Victoria's Rick Say.

Fl Kayaker van Koeverden leads Olympic team into stadium BY CLEVE DHEENSAW AT THE BEIJING GAMES Adam van Koeverden, the athlete who was to lead 332 Canadians in today's Summer Olympics opening ceremonies in Bird's Nest stadium, in many ways personifies the Canadian dream. Van Koeverden, of Mississauga, is an athlete, a humanitarian and the son of immigrants. "Both my parents are immigrants and came to Canada to' find a better life," said the world and Olympic champion kayaker. "I was born in Canada, but I consider myself an immigrant, and now people associate me with the flag. Ironic, isn't it? "There will be 331 other Canadian athletes with stories just like that marching in behind me.

"You sometimes hear people say, 'I'm sixth generation Canadian and I'm more entitled to talk about That's pretty ignorant." Van Koeverden, the thoughtful and articulate son of a Dutch father and Hungarian mother, was recently in Liberia with the group Right to Play, whose mission is to make sure every child in the world grows up with the chance to chase a ball. As a David Suzuki Ambassador Athlete, he flies carbon-neutral to his com; petitions, which span the globe.1, "I feel it necessary to give back in some way, both at home in talking to children in schools or at the canoe club, or by going to try to help kids in Liberia said van Koeverden. "The situation the children face in Liberia was pretty graphic and not to be taken lightly. The trip was not fun. It was tough to see." As a Suzuki Ambassador Athlete, van Koeverden was asked if he found it ironic to be competing in the smoggy haze of one of the most polluted cities on Earth.

THE MAN BEHIND JHE CLOTHES The designer of the clothes Canadian athletes wore at the Opening Ceremony is confident his creations will be popular at home. A3 to Drug cheats: The UK. is tapping into Canada's anti-doping expertise. Jeff Lee, A4 JOE CHANREUTERS Torchbearers take part In the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay at the Badaling section of the Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing. The greying of the Olympic Games Business basics: Canadian companies are learning valuable lessons about branding in China.

El BY DAPHNE BRAMHAM VANCOUVER SUN Good news for geezers More and more of Canada's Olympic athletes are over the age of 30, as illustrated by the red bars below. of not only 30-somethings, but men and women in their 40s, 50s and even 60s. Canada doesn't have the distinction of having the oldest Olympian. That honour belongs to 67-year-old dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu of Japan. He recently told Agence-France Presse, "I don't feel comfortable being fussed about just because of age." Still, he likes to describe himself as "the hope of old men." 70 50 30 AT THE BEIJING GAMES HONG KONG After years of child prodigies, the 2008 Beijing Olympics might well be the Geezer Games and see the revenge of the mature, to put it politely.

Among the fresh-faced teens and 20-somethings marching into Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium today were a surprising number 1 10 1 01 See CANADA FIELDING A4 Source: Canadian Olympic Committee VANCOUVER SUN See I'M JUST A4 MDA awarded $95-million spy plane contract THE BEST OF BEIJING Vancouversim.com editors and writers are working 24-hours a day to bring 25 online fSL New Olympic videos collect to the soldiers. The company is providing a complete package, including services, to the military, David Hargreaves, a vice-president within MDA's Information Systems group, said. See CANADA ALSO A2 Six soldiers hurt in ambush All to fly 10,000 metres above the areas where Canadian soldiers are operating, well out of the range of ground fire, and provide military intelligence to field commanders on the ground. MDA's main role, besides providing the aircraft, is to operate them and provide the data they The contract, $95 million for two years with an option to extend it for a third year for an additional $35 million, was one of a number of contracts announced Thursday as part of Ottawa's commitment to strengthen Canadian forces. The spy aircraft are designed BY GORDON HAMILTON VANCOUVER SUN Richmond-based MacDonald Detwiler and Associates was awarded a contract Thursday to provide unmanned surveillance aircraft for Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan.

ZUr atvancouversun.com What do you think of a B.C. company providing drones to the military? Comment on this story at vancouversun.com under Editor's Picks. Hear our Olympic podcasts. INSIDE $1 40 RETAIL $1.50 coin canada.com BOX News and analysis: Breaking news, results, photos and more from The Sun's team in China and our news services Arts life CI Cam Cole F2 IssuesIdeas A15 At Home C9 Comics E8 Jonathan Manthorpe A15 Births 8t Deaths F14 Crossword C15J2J7 Movies C8 Bridge E7 Driving DJJ7 Vaughn Palmer A3 Business El EditorialsLetters A14 Smart Money E5 DonCayo El Ferry Schedule E7 Sports Fl Miro Cernetig El Shelley Fralic A5 Sudoku E8 Classified Fll Horoscope C15 Barbara Yaffe A15 tu Cooler air and more clouds Full report, E7 $1.64 MINIMUM OUTSIDE LOWER MAINLAND Blogs, databases: Stay tuned to these features for great interactive features. com 57040 "10060 rSome restrictions apply.

Taxes not tretuded- Fuel surcharge applies. See westjetcom for tteta. S2Kiffifii'A a iirvTi Buy Today For Thousands In Bonus Cash I or grand prize F.miiyFun Bundle" ScX" I WlN FALL SlO.OOOInBonusCashtoWin ustsouths gyriTrg-' Qir5" rPfT 1 sViKSi-' calltoday! 604-602-5880 WFMr" 2 for 1 75 available at Forrulesof play and a virtual tour new 4 for $275 mm winfalMottery.com I or grand prize 5-srx 'fire is NEW fcafl Prize Homes Open Daily 11 am -6pm $1.5 MILLION tax free cash Vv Chances are 1 in 79,800 (total tickets for sale) to win a grand prize. BC Gaming Event Licence 8981.