A skijumper tests the landing zone at the Nordic Combined World Cup at Whistler Olympic Park on Friday. (CBC)

An international skiing event that has brought more than 200 athletes from countries around the world is the first real test of Whistler Olympic Park, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) said Friday.

The three-day Nordic Combined World Cup, which began Friday, features events including ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

VANOC said the competition, which is about a third of the size of what the 2010 Games will be, is an important test for the 2010 Winter Games.

"Now this is where the rubber hits the road, and we have everyone out here and doing the best they can to pull this off," said Tim Gayda, vice-president of sport for the organizing committee.

Gayda said the weather has been the biggest challenge so far, with the site receiving more snow than organizers had anticipated. The $119.7-million venue, located about 20 kilometres southwest of Whistler, will host cross-country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon during the Olympics.

Display boards, a crucial piece of technology at the competition, seemed to be operating well on Friday. (CBC)

Lessons learned, he said, include the kind of special training volunteers will need to deal with the elements, and how to ensure key technology operates properly.

VANOC is also monitoring how its anti-doping operation will work, and how it delivers medical services to both the athletes and spectators.

"These are things that are trial and error," Gayda said. "You have to run an event like this to really learn from them"

The weekend event will be watched by millions of viewers in Europe, where sports such as Nordic combined skiing have a huge following, said Michael Drevenstedt of German television network ARD.

However, Drevenstedt said, there seemed to be a lack of energy at the opening day of competition.

"Its a little bit boring — the atmosphere — at this moment," he said. "Maybe at the Olympic Games it will be a little bit better."

Roger Izumi of Kyodo News from Japan said he had no complaints about access to athletes.

"Its easy to talk to the athletes from the mixed zone, so I am pretty happy about it," he said.