Ross Rebagliati says when he first heard about Vancouver winning the 2010 Olympic Games, he considered getting back on his snowboard and competing for Canada.

Now, his dreams of winning in 2010 are about votes. Rebagliati announced last month he would seek the federal Liberal Party nomination for the Okanagan-Coquihalla riding, currently held by Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day.

A tough race, but Rebagliati says the controversy over marijuana use that temporarily stripped him of his 1998 Olympic gold medal has prepared him for battle.

"It was a very political situation after I won," the Olympian said. "I had a lot of crash-course experience on dealing with the media and dealing with tough questions."

Rebagliati insisted the pot came from second hand smoke at a party, and he prevailed.

His win was well received -- as was his attendance at the Liberal Party convention in Whistler over the weekend.

"As everybody knows, we've got some Gold Medal talent," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said. "Thank you, Ross, for coming forward."

And the 37-year-old political hopeful says the feeling is mutual.

"Ignatieff, I think, represents an excellent leader for Canada," Rebagliati said.

Though he acknowledges the tough campaign ahead of him, Rebagliati believes his Olympic status could prove valuable next year during the Games.

"The timing's going to be great," he said. "I'm going to be able to get in front of a lot of people at the Olympics and I think it's going to be a positive experience."

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Sarah Galashan