World leaders at the Olympics?

U.S. President Barack Obama is not expected to attend the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but that doesn't mean he isn't coming at all.An official announcement from the White House may come as early as next week regarding the American delegation to the Games.It's expected that Vice-President Joe Biden will be named as the U.S. government's official face at the lavish Feb. 12 event.He'll join a roster of kings, queens and government ministers who have said they'll be attending, though not all of the heads of state of the 80 nations competing at the Games have RSVP'd.It's a low-profile list, so far.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown isn't expected to attend nor is Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.Instead, sports ministers from their countries are confirmed, including the U.K.'s Tessa Jowell, who is in charge of preparations for the London 2012 Games.Russia, which is hosting the 2014 Winter Games, is expected to be represented by current President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, as well as Vice-President Dmitry Kozak, who oversees those Olympics.As for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, it's a qualified maybe.In the guessing game of which dignitaries will or won't be at the 2010 Winter Games, getting positive confirmations is tricky.While the invitations were sent months ago, RSVPs are only trickling in as heads of state are just now finalizing their schedules.There's no master list at the Department of Foreign Affairs either. Unlike official state visits, these ones are under the auspices of the Olympic organizing committee, not the federal government.And the organizing committee isn't saying.``The surest way for them not to come is for me to tell you that they're coming,'' said Taleeb Noormohamed, vice-president of national and international partnerships for the Vancouver organizing committee, known as VANOC.Noormohamed said it was safe to assume there would be somewhere between 25 and 35 heads of state, monarchs or high-level government representatives at the opening ceremonies, and slightly fewer for the closing.But forget red carpet ceremonies at airports and marching bands _ when heads of state come to an Olympics they're treated like just one of the gang.``What they get is sparse and they come here expecting that,'' said Noormohamed.``They come really expecting to, as much as possible, be a spectator and really take in the Games.''What they do get is a security detail provided in this instance by the RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit overseeing the Games.It includes bodyguards, motorcades and varying levels of around-the-clock protection depending on the dignitary in question.The $900-million security budget for the Olympics includes the cost of providing the security to what officers call IPPs, or ``internationally protected persons.''The security for Obama's six-hour visit to Ottawa last February was estimated to cost over $4 million.While high-profile dignitaries get accreditation and prime seats at events, they don't get all-access passes, though it's unlikely the IOC or VANOC would stop them from going to an event.Access to athletes, though, is more carefully guarded.``When people are wanting to meet the athletes they are very respectful,'' said Noormohamed.``They don't want to be a reason that the athlete didn't do well because of the pressure of that meeting or having to take someone away from training.''Canada's official presence at the opening ceremonies will come from Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean, who will open the Games in her capacity as head of state.Her presence at that podium means that the Queen of England will not attend.But what of the rest of the royal family? Canadian Heritage is staying mum on whether Prince Charles or his sons William and Harry will attend.It's traditional that Princess Anne, who is a member of the IOC, is the one who represents the Royal Family at the Olympics.Other royals coming include King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange, from the Netherlands, who is also an IOC member.But just because heads of state are not on the list for the opening or closing ceremonies doesn't mean they won't attend the Games at all.Obama, for example, could still come to watch a high-profile American athlete compete, like Lindsay Vonn, who is currently dominating the World Cup ski circuit.The security provided for visiting dignitaries to the Olympics is the same as when they come for multilateral meetings like the G8, said Staff Sgt. Mike Cote, with the ISU.But at a G8, the leaders arrive in one place and stay there for three days.``The difference for the Olympics is you have potentially the same level of dignitaries attending a public venue that we have to secure but at the same time allowing people in and out so the challenges are very much different,'' said Cote.While the leaders ostensibly attend Games in order to show support for their athletes, there is a measure of public diplomacy involved.Harper was widely criticized for not attending the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Olympics, a move that some said the Chinese regarded as a snub.