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Calgary’s winter sports legacy has long hinged on the 1988 Winter Olympics where freestyle skiing, curling and short-track speedskating made their debuts on the world stage.

All three sports became so popular they were introduced as full-medal events by 1998.

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Three decades have passed since then and, now, Calgary has the chance to create a new legacy — an extreme legacy.

The city has scored exclusive rights to host the Winter X Games for the next three years, once again bringing new sports to the Canadian stage with dynamic, world-class athletes, many of which are native to Canada.

“This will put us actively back in front of the world,” said Cindy Ady, CEO of Tourism Calgary. The only item standing in Calgary’s way is securing corporate sponsorship, but Ady is confident it won’t be a problem and said they are already in conversation with interested parties.

With less than a year to prepare for the 2020 Calgary Winter X Games, Ady said the next step is ensuring they will be operational — in terms of working facilities and production capabilities — to deliver not only a world-class sporting competition, but an entertainment event, too. Tourism Calgary is working with Calgary Arts Development to secure engaging cultural and musical acts.