VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Manuel Osborne-Paradis and the Canadian men's Alpine ski team have arrived in Vancouver, confident they can live up to the high expectations for the home team.

Osborne-Paradis has shrugged off the pressure that will come with competing on his home soil -- and his home mountain in Whistler -- by considering himself the favorite to win the downhill on Feb. 13, a day after the Olympics open. He says there's no reason why the entire nation shouldn't be excited about the team's chances to win Canada's first Alpine medal in 16 years.

A two-time winner on the World Cup circuit this season, Osborne-Paradis spoke during a news conference Monday, shortly before the team prepared to travel to Whistler.