The fact that half of Canada's athletes competing in Turin either train in Calgary or are from Alberta shows the legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary lives on.

Calgary has become the nation's training mecca for winter athletes, who used to have to train in Europe to practice properly, since it built 80 million dollars' worth of state-of-the art facilities for the Games.

This post-Games role fulfils the wishes of the city's Olympic brain trust, who had hoped that by investing back then, Calgary would become the future training ground for winter Olympians.

Take the $40-million Olympic Oval. Renowned for its high-quality ice, the oval is home to 22 athletes on Canada's 2006 team, including speed skater Cindy Klassen, who captured a Canadian-record five medals in Turin.

To put that accomplishment in perspective, all of Canada's winter Olympics athletes combined won five medals at the Calgary Games.

The first covered oval in North America gives a younger generation the opportunity to watch and skate alongside their heroes, says one speed skater.

"They got people to look up to here. Like we've got the best of the best coming here all the time, and once you've got that happening, then up-and-comers are competing with those people and it's just like a snowball effect," speed skater Steven Friesen said.

The Calgary region, including the alpine ski resorts of Lake Louise, hosts an array of international athletes on various World Cup circuits for almost every winter sport.

Actually, you barely have to leave the city.

Calgary firefighter Duff Gibson, who captured skeleton gold in Turin at the age of 39, was able to try his hand at several sports before deciding on skeleton because of the training facilities nearby.

Calgary's Olympic Park in the city's west end, home to the ski jumping national training centre, has helped breed Canada's next generation of athletes.

"You know, I don't know how many people are going to go and use the ski jump, but at least it's there," said former Olympian Mark Greenwald.

"And if you have that desire, and you see it on TV, and it lights a little flame in your son or daughter, they have that opportunity."

With a report from CTV Calgary's Sarah Galashan