Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Winter Olympic Games were held in and around Salt Lake City, Utah
, United States. The games ran from February 8 to 24, 2002, and the Paralympics
from March 7 to 16, 2002. The sporting events were held in ten competitive venues, while non-competitive events, such as the opening ceremony, were held in six other venues. Three venues were also created for training purposes. All Olympic venues were scattered throughout Northern Utah
.
In November 1989 Utah's voters passed the Olympic referendum, which allowed construction to begin on a few of the future Olympic venues. The construction was to proceed using public funds which would be repaid with profits following the games. As part of the referendum the state created the Utah Sports Authority who would work closely with the Salt Lake Olympic Bid Committee and other Olympic organizers to ensure the venues complied with Olympic standards. Two years later Salt Lake City lost its bid to host the 1998 Winter Olympics
, but construction continued on the new venues. By the time Salt Lake City bid again, in 1995, the venues had been completed. On June 16, 1995 the International Olympic Committee
awarded Salt Lake City the games, and the newly completed venues were cited as one of the key factors in the successful bid.
The Utah Sports Authority constructed two of the Olympic venues, the Utah Olympic Park and Utah Olympic Oval. Prior to the games the authority turned over ownership of the venues to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee
(SLOC) who, following the games, turned ownership of the venues over to the Utah Athletic Foundation.
, in Park City, Utah
. Deer Valley has been a popular skiing location since the 1930s and was improved by the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) who built many of its first ski trails and other facilities during the winter of 1936–1937. In 1946 local citizens built the first ski lifts, and the area became known as Snow Park. In 1981 a private resort officially opened in the same area as Deer Valley and has grown to include six mountains with six bowls, 930 acres (376.4 ha) of glade skiing and 560 acres (226.6 ha) of snow-making. The resort totals 2026 acres (819.9 ha) in size.
During the 2002 games Deer Valley Resort hosted the freestyle moguls and aerials, and alpine slalom events. Three of the resort's runs were used during the games including Champion (site of freestyle moguls), Know You Don't (site of alpine slalom), and White Owl (site of freestyle aerials). The spectator stadium located at the end of each run was 12-stories tall and included seating for 10,000 people, while spectator standing areas were located along the sides of each course. The standing areas and stadium combined allowed roughly 13,300 spectators to view each event, with 99.4 percent of tickets sold. During the games 95 percent of Deer Valley remained open to the public for normal seasonal operations.
on September 22, 1997.
As home to the Utah Grizzlies
the E Center served as one of the two venues for Ice Hockey
during the 2002 games. The hockey events held in the venue were spread out during six days in 31 sessions, and the it was capable of holding 8,400 spectators, plus press members, during the competitions. 96.7 percent of available tickets were sold, for a total of 230,657 spectators witnessing events in the arena. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the arena hosted the ice sledge hockey events.
is located 34 miles (54.7 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah
. It was opened on December 21, 1963, as Treasure Mountain by United Park City Mines, the last surviving mining company in Park City, with funds from a federal government program meant to revive the economically depressed town. When it originally opened, it boasted the longest gondola in the United States, as well as a double chairlift, a J-bar lift, base and summit lodges, and a nine-hole golf course. A special Skier's Subway was used to transport skiers nearly 2.5 miles (4 km) into the mountain through the pitch-black Spiro Tunnel on a mine train, where skiers then boarded a mining elevator that lifted them 1750 feet (533.4 m) to the surface, from there they had access to the entire mountain. Treasure Mountain's name was changed to the Park City Ski Area for its fourth season of 1966-67, and eventually it became known as the Park City Mountain Resort. The resort has grown to include eight peaks and nine bowls, with 3300 acres (13.4 km²) of skiing and 16 lifts.
During the 2002 games the resort hosted the men's
and women's
giant slalom, men's and women's
snowboarding parallel giant slalom, and both men's
and women's
snowboarding halfpipe events. The resort's Eagle Race Arena and Eagle Superpipe were used as the Olympics runs. Temporary stadiums were erected at the end of each run with spectator standing areas on each side, creating a combined capacity of 16,500 persons. 99.8 percent of available tickets for events at the resort were sold, for a total of 95,991 spectators witnessing events at the resort. During the games 96 percent of the resort was open to normal seasonal operations, and was the only venue to allow spectators to leave and reenter.
is located 43 miles (69.2 km) south of downtown Salt Lake City, in Provo, Utah
. Provo was chosen as the site for an Olympic venue because the leaders of Utah County refused to support Utah's 1989 Olympic referendum unless they were promised at least one Olympic event would be held in the county. Originally county leaders wanted the speed skating oval built somewhere in Provo, or on the campus of Utah Valley Community College; others suggested the game's Closing Ceremony could be held at Brigham Young University's
Cougar Stadium
. After the 1989 Olympic referendum passed, and Salt Lake City lost its 1991 bid to host the 1998 Winter Olympics, the Utah Sports Authority and Provo City decided to wait until Salt Lake City bid again for the 2002 Winter Olympics before beginning construction on the arena.
After Salt Lake City successfully won the 2002 Olympic bid in 1995, planning began again for what venue Utah County would host, and an Ice Sheet was decided upon. On September 17, 1997 ground was broken for construction of the new arena. It was be a 80400 square feet (7,469.4 m²) building, with two ice sheets side by side. One ice sheet would have seating for about 2,000 spectators while the other would seat 300. By the time ground was broken the price had increased to $8.5 million, $1.5 million more than originally planned; paid for by Seven Peaks. Then after construction had already begun SLOC decided to host hockey events in the new arena versus using Utah Valley State College's McKay Center. SLOC would contribute $5.25 million towards the project who's cost had just jumped to $10.75 million, with the addition of 12 locker rooms instead of four, 8,000 seats, 2,300 of which would be permanent, and other minor expansions to the original plan.
The arena opened November 20, 1998 in what was considered a "soft opening", and following the completion of minor work, the arena was supposed to have a grand opening in January or February 1999. But in December 1998 allegations of a scandal involving SLOC members, and members of the International Olympic Committee
concerning the 2002 Olympic bid
surfaced, pushing back the grand opening. The Grand Opening was held September 29, 1999, and the venue hosted its first event, a hockey game between the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
and the University of Calgary
Oval Extremes, two days later. The completed arena cost $12.4 million to build, included two ice sheets, had seating for over 2,000 spectators, and was 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) in size.
During the 2002 games both men's and women's ice hockey games
and practices were held in the arena. Because of its original size over 6,000 temporary seats had to be installed to boost the ice center's capacity to 8,400, including press members. 93 percent of tickets were sold, for a total 131,067 of spectators witnessing events in the arena.
, when the building's naming rights were sold. The arena was built and privately financed by Utah businessman Larry H. Miller
, as a home for the NBA's Utah Jazz
basketball team. Ground was broken for construction on May 22, 1990, and was completed on October 4, 1991 in time for late-October basketball games; it was built at a cost of $93 million.
During the 2002 games the arena hosted all the figure skating events
, and the short track speed skating event
. The arena was capable of holding an average of 14,600 spectators for each session, and 100 percent of available tickets for events in the arena were sold, for a total of 145,997 spectators witnessing events in the Ice Center. Because it was normally a basketball arena several changes to the floor and the seating configurations had to be made. In order to create an Olympic sized ice rink the lower levels of seating had to be retracted, making the first level of spectator seating several feet higher than the skater's heads, a problem coined "The Pit". The Utah Jazz played their last home game on February 2, 2002, giving organizers less than a week to transform the arena in time for the games. Temporary changes included a separate audio system capable of producing higher quality sound, new scoreboards, removing 1,200 seats to make room for media tables, building camera platforms, removing Jazz paraphernalia and adding Olympic friendly signage.
is located 33 miles (53.1 km) northeast of downtown Salt Lake City, in Weber County, Utah
, and is one of the oldest continuously operating ski areas in the United States. Following the end of World War I
and the Great Depression
numerous small ski resorts were developed in Utah's snow-packed mountains, and Weber County wanted to join in. They decided to redevelop the area in and around Wheeler Basin, a deteriorated watershed area that had been overgrazed and subjected to aggressive timber-harvesting. Lands were restored and turned over to the US Forest Service, by 1938 the Forest Service and Alf Engen
had committed to turning the area into a recreational site. In 1939 the first ski tow was built and in service at the new Snow Basin ski park. Over the past 70 years the resort has grown to include 104 runs, 12 lifts, and 2650 acres (10.7 km²) of Skiable area.
During the 2002 games Snowbasin hosted the downhill, combined (mongul and slalom), and super-G events. The spectator viewing areas consisted of a stadium at the foot of the run, with two sections of snow terraces for standing along both sides of the run. The spectator capacity was 22,500 per event; 99.1 percent of tickets were sold, and 124,373 spectators were able to view events at the Snowbasin Olympic venue. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics, Snowbasin hosted the Alpine Skiing events, including downhill, super-G, slalom, and giant slalom.
is located 53 miles (85.3 km) southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, in the Wasatch Mountain State Park
near Midway, Utah
. Soldier Hollow was the furthest venue from Salt Lake City with an estimated drive time of 2 to hours from downtown during the games. The venue was one of only three which was built and designed by SLOC specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Soldier Hollow was chosen by SLOC as an Olympic venue in October 1997, over several other possible locations including Sherwood Hills near Logan, Utah
. Preliminary work began soon after the venue site was chosen, but major construction didn't start until 1999. Work at the venue had been completed enough (80% complete) to host its first major event, U.S. Cross Country Championships
, on January 8, 2000. Construction on the venue's day lodge began with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 2000. The lodge was completed in December 2000 and dedicated on January 5, 2001. The venue cost SLOC $22 million to construct, and is still in use today.
During the 2002 games Soldier Hollow hosted the biathlon
, cross-country skiing
, and Nordic combined
events. The venue itself hosted 64,160 biathlon spectators, 99,320 cross-country spectators, and 1,794 Nordic combined spectators during these events. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the venue hosted the biathlon
and cross-country
events.
Because of its distance from Salt Lake City and other large population centers of Utah a special Western Experience was created at the venue's spectator plaza to give visitors activities to do between competitions. The Western Experience included music and entertainment, a mountain rendezvous, pioneer reenactments, cowboy camps, wild mustang exhibit, and American Indian displays.
In order to help cut down on vehicle traffic in the canyons, and to give spectators a unique experience, SLOC reached an agreement with the Historic Heber Valley Railroad to transport spectators to the Soldier Hollow venues. A special station was constructed along the railroad's tracks near the venue which would allow two to four trains carrying 200 passengers each per day. The former Union Pacific No. 618 steam-engine would pulled eight-car train carrying the passengers to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh
.
in Ogden, Utah
. Following the passage of Utah's 1989 Olympic referendum, Ogden submitted a proposal to the Utah Sports Authority and Utah's Olympic organizers to construct a Olympic sized practice ice sheet in the city. On September 10, 1990, the Utah Sports Authority, selected a site near the Dee Events Center
in Ogden as the site of an Olympic ice sheet, over other locations in downtown Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. The property for the venue would be leased from Weber State University for 50 years at a cost of $1. A groundbreaking ceremony at the start of construction was held December 17, 1992. The facility was to cost $5.9 million, with $3 million coming from the State of Utah (as authorized in the 1989 Olympic referendum), $2 million from Weber County
, and the remainder from private donations. Following the venue's completion a two-day grand opening was held on April 2–3, 1994, which included performances by Olympian Scott Hamilton
, and U.S. Champions Todd Sands and Jennifer Moreno. By the time it was completed the price had gone up to $6.2 million, it had had seating for 2,000 spectators, and was 52500 square feet (4,877.4 m²) in size. It was originally designed to be used for practice and preliminary competitions among ice skaters and hockey teams for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was later decided that the ice sheet would be used for curling
, and on May 2, 1999 the ice sheet closed to replace the sand-based floor with a more efficient concrete floor. The sand-based flooring allowed freezing tubes to shift, causing uneven ridges in the ice. The new concrete floor was finished July 1999, and the ice sheet reopened for public use within weeks.
During the 2002 games The Ice Sheet at Ogden hosted the curling events, which had been first introduced during the 1998 Winter Olympics. The venue held about 2,000 spectators, and 96.7 percent of tickets were sold, with a total of 40,572 spectators witnessing events at the ice sheet.
The Utah Olympic Oval
is located 14 miles (23 km) west of downtown Salt Lake City
, in Kearns, Utah
. Along with Soldier Hollow, and the Utah Olympic Park it was built specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics. On October 5, 1992 the Utah Sports Authority chose the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center in Kearns as the site for the 2002 Olympic Oval, beating out other locations in West Valley City, Sandy
and downtown Salt Lake City. Funds from the 1989 Olympic referendum would be used to construct the oval, and would be repaid with profits from the games. The plans called to use $3.7 million of tax payer money to construct the oval, which would be an outdoor facility. Then if Salt Lake City won its 1995 bid for the 2002 games, Olympic revenues would be used to cover the oval, and build a ice sheet in the center of the track. By the time the groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 1994, the price tag had increased to $4.1 million, with an expected completion date sometime that December. Because of cold temperatures and a wet spring, cement for the oval could not be poured, and the oval didn't open until September 1, 1995, almost a year behind schedule. The oval was formally dedicated in a ceremony, attended by Olympian Cathy Turner
, on January 12, 1996. Prior to it being covered and used during the Olympic games, the oval would be used for inline skating during the summer and ice skating during the winter months.
After SLOC began the design process for a permanent cover, it was decided to pull up and replace the entire oval, so work began in June 1999. The new oval was designed by Gilles Stransky Brems Smith of Salt Lake City, and constructed by Layton Construction, and its estimated cost was $27 million. To keep costs down, and give a unobstructed view of the ice, the roof would be constructed similar to a suspension bridge
. Between twenty-four masts, twelve on each side of the building, steel cables nearly 400 feet (121.9 m) long and 3½ inches in diameter were strung, suspending the roof above the oval. Once it was completed, the building would be the size of four football fields, and housed two hockey-sized ice sheets in the center the 400-meter speed skating track. Work on the oval was completed in time to host its first event, the World Single Distance Championships
, in March 2001.
During its construction the oval was expected to become the world's fastest, mainly because of its elevation. It is the world's highest indoor oval at 4675 feet (1,424.9 m) above sea level, 1000 feet (304.8 m) higher than Calgary's Olympic Oval
, site of the 1988 Winter Olympics. Because of the elevation, there is less air resistance for the skaters and less oxygen frozen into the ice, making it harder, denser and faster.
During the 2002 games the oval hosted the speed skating
events. For the competitions temporary seating was installed and the oval had a capacity for about 5,200 spectators, plus press members. 100 percent of available tickets for the venue's events were sold, allowing 53,056 spectators to witness events in the oval.
is located 28 miles (45.1 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, near Park City, Utah. Like the Utah Olympic Oval and Soldier Hollow, the park was designed and built under the supervision of SLOC. The 1989 Olympic referendum, which was passed by Utahns, allowed for tax payer money to fund a winter sports park, that would be used if Salt Lake City won their bids for the 1998 or 2002 Winter Olympics. In 1990 the Utah Sports Authority announced their plans to build the park, which included ski jumps and a bobsled-luge track, in Bear Hollow near Park city. A groundbreaking ceremony was held May 29, 1991, when construction on the park got underway. The park had an estimated cost of $26.3 million, was planned to be completed in September 1992, and included the ski jumps, bobsled-luge track, a lodge and a ski museum. Four of the park's ski jumps (18, 38, 65 and 90 meters) were completed and opened on December 12, 1992, and were formally dedicated in a ceremony on January 9, 1993. On July 31, 1993 the summer training facilities at the park, which included a ski jumping pool, were dedicated.
A groundbreaking ceremony on June 3, 1994 signaled the start of construction on the Bobsled-luge track. The track was completed December 28, 1996 and the grand opening was held on January 25, 1997. The very first run on the new track was by luger Jon Owen
on January 10, 1997. The day lodge was also completed.
While construction was progressing on the track, Salt Lake City won its 1995 bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics, and plans were developed to expand the park. On October 9, 1997 SLOC okayed the plan to spend an additional $48 million to upgrade and expand the park. The plans called for replacing the existing 90-meter ski jump, and building a new 120-meter jump. Also the construction of starting houses on the track, chairlifts, storage buildings, new access roads, pedestrian bridges, parking and sewer and water lines were part of the plan. The transform of the park began during the Summer of 1998, and ownership of the park was transferred from the Utah Sports Authority to SLOC on July 14, 1999. In Spring 2000 the Utah Winter Sports Park became the Utah Olympic Park, and the majority of expansion work was completed by that fall.
in downtown Salt Lake City. The Main Media Center hosted both the International Broadcast Center (IBC) and the Main Press Center (MPC) during the games. The Salt Palace Convention Center was the second building in Salt Lake City to carry that name, the first having been destroyed by fire in 1910. The Salt Palace used during the Olympics had originally been constructed in 1969, pushed by Salt Lake's failed bid for the 1972 Winter Olympics
. It was an arena with a capacity of 10,725 spectators, but after Salt Lake lost its bid, the arena became the home of the Utah Stars
and the NBA's Utah Jazz
. After the Utah Jazz moved next door to the newly constructed Delta Center, the majority of the Salt Palace was demolished, including the arena. What remained was remodeled and expanded to create the Convention Center used during the games.
The Main Media Center had a total of 515000 square feet (47,845.1 m²) of exhibit space, 164000 square feet (15,236.1 m²) of meeting space including a 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²) grand ballroom, and 66 meeting rooms. It had a total capacity of 20,000 people, and more than 15534 miles (24,999.5 km) of fiber-optic cable installed in Salt Lake City allowed the MMC to hand 2 million inbound calls a day.
, or Pioneer Park as the location for the Medals Plaza. Nevertheless SLOC accepted the Church's offer because they were willing to help pay the costs, and the parking lot was an entire city block in size, which would allow a large number of spectators. Construction on the plaza began December 3, 2001, and the final touches were being finished when the plaza was unveiled to the press on January 25, 2002.
The plaza could hold 20,000 spectators, with 9,000 in the stands and another 11,000 in standing areas. The stage, which was centered directly in front, was kept hidden by a medal curtain known as the Hoberman Arch
, and flanked by two large 22 by 30 feet (9.1 m) video screens. The stage was decorated with a large 3D version of the Olympic logo, which held a second Olympic cauldron. Known as the Hero's Cauldron, was the first time a Olympic game had two cauldrons. A large 67 feet (20.4 m) lighting/production tower stood directly in front of the stage, and was surrounded by the standing areas. The plaza also included an NBC
studio, and a three story building with 17 boxed suites; rented out for $92,500 each.
Every night following the presentation of the medals, an Olympic Celebration Concert would be held. A different artist performed every night, and American footballer Steve Young hosted the event; following each concert was a firework display. The Medals Plaza also hosted the Closing Ceremony for the 2002 Winter Paralympics on March 16, 2002.
, on the campus of the University of Utah. Fort Douglas, a U.S. Army
base, had been established in 1862 but was closed in 1991; from the earliest stages of Olympic planning the fort was a possible location for the Olympic Village. Following the fort's closure the University of Utah acquired much of its property, and began planning to restore the historic buildings and build new dorms and apartment buildings for its students on the property. SLOC agreed to pay $28 million of the projected $80 million construction cost, if the buildings could be used to house up to 4,000 Olympic athletes during the games. Several Army reserve units that were still located at the fort had to be moved to nearby military installations such as the Ogden Defense Depot
and Camp Williams
before work on the village could progress. But in October 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton
vetoed a $12.7 million appropriation bill, that would have allowed the remaining military units to move, and temporary killed the plans for the Olympic Village. On October 24, 1997 the Senate Appropriations Committee
overturned the President's veto, and soon after both houses of congress voted in favor the committee's decision, effectively voiding the President's veto. Prior to the start of construction a $500,000 archaeological survey of the sites was completed.
Plans were completed and work on the Olympic Village began in the Summer of 1998. The project was to include the restoration of many historic buildings and the construction of 21 low-rise apartment buildings. The first phase of construction, a six-building complex for graduate student housing, was completed September 7, 1999, while future phases were almost completed when the future village open for media tours on January 26, 2001. As part of the plan Legacy Bridge was built spanning Wasatch Boulevard.
During the 2002 games the Olympic Village housed the athletes, coaches and other officials, many of the historic buildings in the fort housed services for the athletes including 24-hour dining facilities, a fitness center, a internet center, a bank, dry cleaning, mail services, a photo shop, salon, nightclub, and interfaith chapel. The village was divided into two parts, the International Zone and Residential Zone. The International Zone was where media and guests could visit the village, and many of the athlete services were located. The Residential Zone was athletes only and invited guests only and included the chapel and nightclub. The Olympic Family Hotel was also located inside the village during the games. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the Olympic Village also served the paralympic athletes. Prior to the Olympics the parts of the village that had been completed were used as student housing, their post-Olympic use also.
stadium located 3 miles (5 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, on the campus of the University of Utah
. It is the home field of the Utah Utes
, who are soon to be part of the Pacific-10 Conference. The stadium sits at an elevation
of 4657 feet (1,419.5 m) above sea level, and 350 feet (106.7 m) above downtown Salt Lake City. Rice–Eccles Stadium had its start when the university built Ute Stadium in 1927, and over the years the stadium was expanded and improved. By the time Salt Lake City won its Olympic bid in 1995, Rice Stadium (as it was then known) had a spectator capacity of only 32,500 persons. Plans called for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 games to be held at the stadium, and with this in mind, the stadium was almost completely demolished after the 1997 football season. Expansion work was completed in fall 1998 and the stadium opened for the first game of the season on September 12, 1998; with seating for 45,017 spectators.
During the 2002 games the stadium served as the venue for the Opening Ceremony on February 8, 2002, and for the Closing Ceremony on February 24, 2002. In order to host the ceremonies the grass field was paved over with asphalt
and a stage was constructed, scoreboards were removed, flags and Olympic livery were installed, temporary seating was brought in (allowing more than 50,000 spectators) and the 2002 Olympic Cauldron was installed atop the southern bleachers. An estimated 3.5 billion people watched the Opening and Closing Ceremonies on television, through broadcasts from the stadium. The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Paralympics was also held in the stadium on March 7, 2002.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States. The games ran from February 8 to 24, 2002, and the Paralympics
2002 Winter Paralympics
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated....
from March 7 to 16, 2002. The sporting events were held in ten competitive venues, while non-competitive events, such as the opening ceremony, were held in six other venues. Three venues were also created for training purposes. All Olympic venues were scattered throughout Northern Utah
Northern Utah
Northern Utah is the region in the state of Utah in the United States which runs along Wasatch Mountains . The term Northern Utah refers specifically to the chain of cities running north to south from Logan to Provo with Kaysville and Farmington at the center.Two distinct definitions of Northern...
.
In November 1989 Utah's voters passed the Olympic referendum, which allowed construction to begin on a few of the future Olympic venues. The construction was to proceed using public funds which would be repaid with profits following the games. As part of the referendum the state created the Utah Sports Authority who would work closely with the Salt Lake Olympic Bid Committee and other Olympic organizers to ensure the venues complied with Olympic standards. Two years later Salt Lake City lost its bid to host the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, but construction continued on the new venues. By the time Salt Lake City bid again, in 1995, the venues had been completed. On June 16, 1995 the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
awarded Salt Lake City the games, and the newly completed venues were cited as one of the key factors in the successful bid.
The Utah Sports Authority constructed two of the Olympic venues, the Utah Olympic Park and Utah Olympic Oval. Prior to the games the authority turned over ownership of the venues to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee
Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 was the organization responsible for the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, USA....
(SLOC) who, following the games, turned ownership of the venues over to the Utah Athletic Foundation.
Deer Valley Resort
The Deer Valley Resort is located 36 miles (57.9 km) east of downtown Salt Lake CityDowntown Salt Lake City
Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.-Location:...
, in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
. Deer Valley has been a popular skiing location since the 1930s and was improved by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) who built many of its first ski trails and other facilities during the winter of 1936–1937. In 1946 local citizens built the first ski lifts, and the area became known as Snow Park. In 1981 a private resort officially opened in the same area as Deer Valley and has grown to include six mountains with six bowls, 930 acres (376.4 ha) of glade skiing and 560 acres (226.6 ha) of snow-making. The resort totals 2026 acres (819.9 ha) in size.
During the 2002 games Deer Valley Resort hosted the freestyle moguls and aerials, and alpine slalom events. Three of the resort's runs were used during the games including Champion (site of freestyle moguls), Know You Don't (site of alpine slalom), and White Owl (site of freestyle aerials). The spectator stadium located at the end of each run was 12-stories tall and included seating for 10,000 people, while spectator standing areas were located along the sides of each course. The standing areas and stadium combined allowed roughly 13,300 spectators to view each event, with 99.4 percent of tickets sold. During the games 95 percent of Deer Valley remained open to the public for normal seasonal operations.
E Center
Originally known as the E Center, today it is the Maverik Center, and is located 9 miles (14.5 km) west of downtown Salt Lake City in West Valley City. In July 1995, only a month after winning the Olympic bid, SLOC accepted a proposal from West Valley City to build a new ice hockey facility in the city. SLOC loaned $7 million to the city for construction costs, and would rent the arena from the city during the games. The arena would be funded through a variety of ways, but would be owned the municipality of West Valley City, and used for various events before and after the games. Ground was broken for the E Center on March 22, 1996, and the arena was completed in September 1997. The arena was designed by Populous (formerly HOK Sport), cost $54.1 million to construct, and was dedicated on September 19, 1997. The first event held in the new venue was WCW's Monday Nitro LiveWCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
on September 22, 1997.
As home to the Utah Grizzlies
Utah Grizzlies
The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...
the E Center served as one of the two venues for Ice Hockey
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
during the 2002 games. The hockey events held in the venue were spread out during six days in 31 sessions, and the it was capable of holding 8,400 spectators, plus press members, during the competitions. 96.7 percent of available tickets were sold, for a total of 230,657 spectators witnessing events in the arena. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the arena hosted the ice sledge hockey events.
Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain ResortPark City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Park City, Utah, located east of Salt Lake City. The resort has been a major tourist attraction for skiers from all over the United States, as well as a main employer for many of Park City's citizens. Park City, as the resort is often called by locals,...
is located 34 miles (54.7 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
. It was opened on December 21, 1963, as Treasure Mountain by United Park City Mines, the last surviving mining company in Park City, with funds from a federal government program meant to revive the economically depressed town. When it originally opened, it boasted the longest gondola in the United States, as well as a double chairlift, a J-bar lift, base and summit lodges, and a nine-hole golf course. A special Skier's Subway was used to transport skiers nearly 2.5 miles (4 km) into the mountain through the pitch-black Spiro Tunnel on a mine train, where skiers then boarded a mining elevator that lifted them 1750 feet (533.4 m) to the surface, from there they had access to the entire mountain. Treasure Mountain's name was changed to the Park City Ski Area for its fourth season of 1966-67, and eventually it became known as the Park City Mountain Resort. The resort has grown to include eight peaks and nine bowls, with 3300 acres (13.4 km²) of skiing and 16 lifts.
During the 2002 games the resort hosted the men's
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Men's giant slalom
The event was held on February 21st at Park City. Stephan Eberharter, age 32.9, became the oldest man to win an alpine event at the Olympics.-Results:Complete results from the men's giant slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.-References:*...
and women's
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Women's giant slalom
The event was held on February 22, 2002 at Park City Mountain Resort. After recovering from a 2001 knee injury, Kostelic wins the first medal for Croatia at the Winter Games.-Results:...
giant slalom, men's and women's
Snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Women's parallel giant slalom
The women's parallel giant slalom event in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics was held in Park City, USA. The competition began on February 14, with the final rounds on February 15.-Medalists:-Qualification:...
snowboarding parallel giant slalom, and both men's
Snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Men's halfpipe
The men's halfpipe event in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics was held in Park City, United States. The competition took place on 11 February 2002....
and women's
Snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Women's halfpipe
The women's halfpipe event in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics was held in Park City, United States. The competition took place on 10 February 2002.-Medalists:-Results:...
snowboarding halfpipe events. The resort's Eagle Race Arena and Eagle Superpipe were used as the Olympics runs. Temporary stadiums were erected at the end of each run with spectator standing areas on each side, creating a combined capacity of 16,500 persons. 99.8 percent of available tickets for events at the resort were sold, for a total of 95,991 spectators witnessing events at the resort. During the games 96 percent of the resort was open to normal seasonal operations, and was the only venue to allow spectators to leave and reenter.
The Peaks Ice Arena
The Peaks Ice ArenaPeaks Ice Arena
Peaks Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena in Provo, Utah, United States, located south of Salt Lake City.It was built, along with the E Center in West Valley City, Utah, to serve as an ice hockey and practice venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics...
is located 43 miles (69.2 km) south of downtown Salt Lake City, in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
. Provo was chosen as the site for an Olympic venue because the leaders of Utah County refused to support Utah's 1989 Olympic referendum unless they were promised at least one Olympic event would be held in the county. Originally county leaders wanted the speed skating oval built somewhere in Provo, or on the campus of Utah Valley Community College; others suggested the game's Closing Ceremony could be held at Brigham Young University's
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Cougar Stadium
LaVell Edwards Stadium
LaVell Edwards Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Provo, Utah, on the campus of Brigham Young University. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars....
. After the 1989 Olympic referendum passed, and Salt Lake City lost its 1991 bid to host the 1998 Winter Olympics, the Utah Sports Authority and Provo City decided to wait until Salt Lake City bid again for the 2002 Winter Olympics before beginning construction on the arena.
After Salt Lake City successfully won the 2002 Olympic bid in 1995, planning began again for what venue Utah County would host, and an Ice Sheet was decided upon. On September 17, 1997 ground was broken for construction of the new arena. It was be a 80400 square feet (7,469.4 m²) building, with two ice sheets side by side. One ice sheet would have seating for about 2,000 spectators while the other would seat 300. By the time ground was broken the price had increased to $8.5 million, $1.5 million more than originally planned; paid for by Seven Peaks. Then after construction had already begun SLOC decided to host hockey events in the new arena versus using Utah Valley State College's McKay Center. SLOC would contribute $5.25 million towards the project who's cost had just jumped to $10.75 million, with the addition of 12 locker rooms instead of four, 8,000 seats, 2,300 of which would be permanent, and other minor expansions to the original plan.
The arena opened November 20, 1998 in what was considered a "soft opening", and following the completion of minor work, the arena was supposed to have a grand opening in January or February 1999. But in December 1998 allegations of a scandal involving SLOC members, and members of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
concerning the 2002 Olympic bid
2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal
The 2002 Olympic Winter Games bid scandal was a scandal involving allegations of bribery used to win the rights to host the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Prior to its successful bid in 1995, the city had attempted four times to secure the games; failing each time...
surfaced, pushing back the grand opening. The Grand Opening was held September 29, 1999, and the venue hosted its first event, a hockey game between the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey
The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey team plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth at the AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota. The team is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the Division I tier...
and the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
Oval Extremes, two days later. The completed arena cost $12.4 million to build, included two ice sheets, had seating for over 2,000 spectators, and was 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) in size.
During the 2002 games both men's and women's ice hockey games
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
and practices were held in the arena. Because of its original size over 6,000 temporary seats had to be installed to boost the ice center's capacity to 8,400, including press members. 93 percent of tickets were sold, for a total 131,067 of spectators witnessing events in the arena.
Salt Lake Ice Center
The Salt Lake Ice Center is located in downtown Salt Lake City, just across the street from the where the 2002 Media Center and Olympic Medals Plaza were located. The Ice Center's building was normally called the Delta Center, but because of the no-commercialization policy of the Olympics, it was temporarily renamed during the games. In 2006 the Delta Center's name was changed to EnergySolutions ArenaEnergySolutions Arena
EnergySolutions Arena is an indoor arena, in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, owned by Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc., the estate of Larry H. Miller...
, when the building's naming rights were sold. The arena was built and privately financed by Utah businessman Larry H. Miller
Larry H. Miller
Lawrence Horne "Larry H." Miller was a Utah businessman and philanthropist who was well known as the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and the of Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, 41 automotive dealerships throughout the Western United States , and a variety of other business ventures...
, as a home for the NBA's Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
basketball team. Ground was broken for construction on May 22, 1990, and was completed on October 4, 1991 in time for late-October basketball games; it was built at a cost of $93 million.
During the 2002 games the arena hosted all the figure skating events
Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics
-Full Results:Referee:* Sally-Anne StaplefordAssistant Referee:* Junko HiramatsuJudges: Wendy Langton Merja Kosonen Janet Allen Nicolae Bellu Yuri Kliushnikov Volker Waldeck Alexander Penchev Mieko Fujimori Evgenia Bogdanova Jarmila Portová -Ladies:Hughes, fourth after the technical program, skated...
, and the short track speed skating event
Short track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympic Games Short track speed skating. All events were held at the Salt Lake Ice Center.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:*...
. The arena was capable of holding an average of 14,600 spectators for each session, and 100 percent of available tickets for events in the arena were sold, for a total of 145,997 spectators witnessing events in the Ice Center. Because it was normally a basketball arena several changes to the floor and the seating configurations had to be made. In order to create an Olympic sized ice rink the lower levels of seating had to be retracted, making the first level of spectator seating several feet higher than the skater's heads, a problem coined "The Pit". The Utah Jazz played their last home game on February 2, 2002, giving organizers less than a week to transform the arena in time for the games. Temporary changes included a separate audio system capable of producing higher quality sound, new scoreboards, removing 1,200 seats to make room for media tables, building camera platforms, removing Jazz paraphernalia and adding Olympic friendly signage.
Snowbasin
SnowbasinSnowbasin
Snowbasin Resort is located northeast of Salt Lake City, in Weber County, Utah. Opened in 1939, as part of an effort by the city of Ogden, Utah to restore the Wheeler Creek watershed, it is one of the oldest ski resorts in the United States. Over the next 50 years Snowbasin grew slowly...
is located 33 miles (53.1 km) northeast of downtown Salt Lake City, in Weber County, Utah
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
, and is one of the oldest continuously operating ski areas in the United States. Following the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
numerous small ski resorts were developed in Utah's snow-packed mountains, and Weber County wanted to join in. They decided to redevelop the area in and around Wheeler Basin, a deteriorated watershed area that had been overgrazed and subjected to aggressive timber-harvesting. Lands were restored and turned over to the US Forest Service, by 1938 the Forest Service and Alf Engen
Alf Engen
Alf Engen was a Norwegian-American skier and skiing school owner/teacher. Alf Engen set several ski jumping world records during the 1930s.-Background:...
had committed to turning the area into a recreational site. In 1939 the first ski tow was built and in service at the new Snow Basin ski park. Over the past 70 years the resort has grown to include 104 runs, 12 lifts, and 2650 acres (10.7 km²) of Skiable area.
During the 2002 games Snowbasin hosted the downhill, combined (mongul and slalom), and super-G events. The spectator viewing areas consisted of a stadium at the foot of the run, with two sections of snow terraces for standing along both sides of the run. The spectator capacity was 22,500 per event; 99.1 percent of tickets were sold, and 124,373 spectators were able to view events at the Snowbasin Olympic venue. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics, Snowbasin hosted the Alpine Skiing events, including downhill, super-G, slalom, and giant slalom.
Soldier Hollow
Soldier HollowSoldier Hollow
Soldier Hollow is a cross-country ski resort located southeast of Salt Lake City in Wasatch Mountain State Park, Utah, United States. The resort was created for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and during the games it hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing and the cross country skiing portion of the...
is located 53 miles (85.3 km) southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, in the Wasatch Mountain State Park
Wasatch Mountain State Park
Wasatch Mountain State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, located in the Heber Valley of Wasatch County near Midway.Established in 1961, Wasatch Mountain State Park is Utah's most developed state park. Named for Wasatch Mountain, the park consists of , and sits at an elevation of...
near Midway, Utah
Midway, Utah
Midway is a city in Wasatch County, Utah, United States. It is located in the Heber Valley, approximately three miles west of Heber City and 28 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, on the opposite side of the Wasatch Mountains...
. Soldier Hollow was the furthest venue from Salt Lake City with an estimated drive time of 2 to hours from downtown during the games. The venue was one of only three which was built and designed by SLOC specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Soldier Hollow was chosen by SLOC as an Olympic venue in October 1997, over several other possible locations including Sherwood Hills near Logan, Utah
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
. Preliminary work began soon after the venue site was chosen, but major construction didn't start until 1999. Work at the venue had been completed enough (80% complete) to host its first major event, U.S. Cross Country Championships
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF...
, on January 8, 2000. Construction on the venue's day lodge began with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 5, 2000. The lodge was completed in December 2000 and dedicated on January 5, 2001. The venue cost SLOC $22 million to construct, and is still in use today.
During the 2002 games Soldier Hollow hosted the biathlon
Biathlon at the 2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympic Games Biathlon were held at Soldier Hollow.-10 km Sprint:Without any misses with the shooting, Bjørndalen wins his second gold of the Games.-12.5 km Pursuit:...
, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics
The cross-country skiing events at the 2002 Winter Olympics were marred by drug problems. The winners of three races were disqualified after blood tests showed that three skiers had overly high red blood cell counts indicating the use of darbepoetin, a drug used to treat anemia...
, and Nordic combined
Nordic combined at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Nordic combined at the 2002 Winter Olympics, consisted of three events held over ten days, from 9 February to 22 February. The ski jumping part took place in Park City, while the cross-country part took place in Soldier Hollow.-Medal table:-Events:...
events. The venue itself hosted 64,160 biathlon spectators, 99,320 cross-country spectators, and 1,794 Nordic combined spectators during these events. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the venue hosted the biathlon
Biathlon at the 2002 Winter Paralympics
Biathlon at the 2002 Winter Paralympics consisted of six events, three for men and three for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :Men* 7.5 km** Sitting** Standing** Visually impairedWomen* 7.5 km** Sitting** Standing...
and cross-country
Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics
Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics consisted of 32 events, 20 for men and 12 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*2.5 km: - women*5 km: men - women*10 km: men - women*15 km: men - women...
events.
Because of its distance from Salt Lake City and other large population centers of Utah a special Western Experience was created at the venue's spectator plaza to give visitors activities to do between competitions. The Western Experience included music and entertainment, a mountain rendezvous, pioneer reenactments, cowboy camps, wild mustang exhibit, and American Indian displays.
In order to help cut down on vehicle traffic in the canyons, and to give spectators a unique experience, SLOC reached an agreement with the Historic Heber Valley Railroad to transport spectators to the Soldier Hollow venues. A special station was constructed along the railroad's tracks near the venue which would allow two to four trains carrying 200 passengers each per day. The former Union Pacific No. 618 steam-engine would pulled eight-car train carrying the passengers to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh
Sled
A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...
.
The Ice Sheet at Ogden
The Ice Sheet at Ogden is located 35 miles (56.3 km) north of downtown Salt Lake City on the campus of Weber State UniversityWeber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. Following the passage of Utah's 1989 Olympic referendum, Ogden submitted a proposal to the Utah Sports Authority and Utah's Olympic organizers to construct a Olympic sized practice ice sheet in the city. On September 10, 1990, the Utah Sports Authority, selected a site near the Dee Events Center
Dee Events Center
Dee Events Center is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Ogden, Utah. The circular, domed arena, similar in design to many arenas of the time, opened in 1977 and was named for the Lawrence T. Dee family, for his extensive contributions in building the arena....
in Ogden as the site of an Olympic ice sheet, over other locations in downtown Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. The property for the venue would be leased from Weber State University for 50 years at a cost of $1. A groundbreaking ceremony at the start of construction was held December 17, 1992. The facility was to cost $5.9 million, with $3 million coming from the State of Utah (as authorized in the 1989 Olympic referendum), $2 million from Weber County
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
, and the remainder from private donations. Following the venue's completion a two-day grand opening was held on April 2–3, 1994, which included performances by Olympian Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton (figure skater)
Scott Scovell Hamilton is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships , four consecutive World Championships and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics....
, and U.S. Champions Todd Sands and Jennifer Moreno. By the time it was completed the price had gone up to $6.2 million, it had had seating for 2,000 spectators, and was 52500 square feet (4,877.4 m²) in size. It was originally designed to be used for practice and preliminary competitions among ice skaters and hockey teams for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was later decided that the ice sheet would be used for curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, and on May 2, 1999 the ice sheet closed to replace the sand-based floor with a more efficient concrete floor. The sand-based flooring allowed freezing tubes to shift, causing uneven ridges in the ice. The new concrete floor was finished July 1999, and the ice sheet reopened for public use within weeks.
During the 2002 games The Ice Sheet at Ogden hosted the curling events, which had been first introduced during the 1998 Winter Olympics. The venue held about 2,000 spectators, and 96.7 percent of tickets were sold, with a total of 40,572 spectators witnessing events at the ice sheet.
Utah Olympic Oval
Utah Olympic Oval
The Utah Olympic Oval, an indoor speed skating oval built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is located southwest of Salt Lake City, in Kearns, Utah. The Oval hosted the long track speed skating events for the 2002 games. Inside the facility the 400-meter skating track surrounds two international sized...
is located 14 miles (23 km) west of downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.-Location:...
, in Kearns, Utah
Kearns, Utah
Kearns is a township and census-designated place in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. Named after Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, it had a population of 35,731 at the 2010 Census.This was a 6.2 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 33,659...
. Along with Soldier Hollow, and the Utah Olympic Park it was built specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics. On October 5, 1992 the Utah Sports Authority chose the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center in Kearns as the site for the 2002 Olympic Oval, beating out other locations in West Valley City, Sandy
Sandy, Utah
Sandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
and downtown Salt Lake City. Funds from the 1989 Olympic referendum would be used to construct the oval, and would be repaid with profits from the games. The plans called to use $3.7 million of tax payer money to construct the oval, which would be an outdoor facility. Then if Salt Lake City won its 1995 bid for the 2002 games, Olympic revenues would be used to cover the oval, and build a ice sheet in the center of the track. By the time the groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 1994, the price tag had increased to $4.1 million, with an expected completion date sometime that December. Because of cold temperatures and a wet spring, cement for the oval could not be poured, and the oval didn't open until September 1, 1995, almost a year behind schedule. The oval was formally dedicated in a ceremony, attended by Olympian Cathy Turner
Cathy Turner
Cathy Ann Turner is an American short track speed skater, who won gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 1994 Winter Olympics....
, on January 12, 1996. Prior to it being covered and used during the Olympic games, the oval would be used for inline skating during the summer and ice skating during the winter months.
After SLOC began the design process for a permanent cover, it was decided to pull up and replace the entire oval, so work began in June 1999. The new oval was designed by Gilles Stransky Brems Smith of Salt Lake City, and constructed by Layton Construction, and its estimated cost was $27 million. To keep costs down, and give a unobstructed view of the ice, the roof would be constructed similar to a suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
. Between twenty-four masts, twelve on each side of the building, steel cables nearly 400 feet (121.9 m) long and 3½ inches in diameter were strung, suspending the roof above the oval. Once it was completed, the building would be the size of four football fields, and housed two hockey-sized ice sheets in the center the 400-meter speed skating track. Work on the oval was completed in time to host its first event, the World Single Distance Championships
World Single Distance Championships
The World Single Distance Championships are a series of speed skating competitions organised by the International Skating Union.-History:Since the late 19th century, speed skating championships were always decided by racing multiple distances – four different distances for the allround...
, in March 2001.
During its construction the oval was expected to become the world's fastest, mainly because of its elevation. It is the world's highest indoor oval at 4675 feet (1,424.9 m) above sea level, 1000 feet (304.8 m) higher than Calgary's Olympic Oval
Olympic Oval
The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus...
, site of the 1988 Winter Olympics. Because of the elevation, there is less air resistance for the skaters and less oxygen frozen into the ice, making it harder, denser and faster.
During the 2002 games the oval hosted the speed skating
Speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, was held over fourteen days, from 9 February to 23 February. Ten events were contested at the Utah Olympic Oval.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-Records:...
events. For the competitions temporary seating was installed and the oval had a capacity for about 5,200 spectators, plus press members. 100 percent of available tickets for the venue's events were sold, allowing 53,056 spectators to witness events in the oval.
Utah Olympic Park
The Utah Olympic ParkUtah Olympic Park
The Utah Olympic Park is a winter sports park built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and is located east of Salt Lake City near Park City, Utah, United States. During the 2002 games the park hosted the bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, ski jumping, and nordic combined events. It still serves a training...
is located 28 miles (45.1 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, near Park City, Utah. Like the Utah Olympic Oval and Soldier Hollow, the park was designed and built under the supervision of SLOC. The 1989 Olympic referendum, which was passed by Utahns, allowed for tax payer money to fund a winter sports park, that would be used if Salt Lake City won their bids for the 1998 or 2002 Winter Olympics. In 1990 the Utah Sports Authority announced their plans to build the park, which included ski jumps and a bobsled-luge track, in Bear Hollow near Park city. A groundbreaking ceremony was held May 29, 1991, when construction on the park got underway. The park had an estimated cost of $26.3 million, was planned to be completed in September 1992, and included the ski jumps, bobsled-luge track, a lodge and a ski museum. Four of the park's ski jumps (18, 38, 65 and 90 meters) were completed and opened on December 12, 1992, and were formally dedicated in a ceremony on January 9, 1993. On July 31, 1993 the summer training facilities at the park, which included a ski jumping pool, were dedicated.
A groundbreaking ceremony on June 3, 1994 signaled the start of construction on the Bobsled-luge track. The track was completed December 28, 1996 and the grand opening was held on January 25, 1997. The very first run on the new track was by luger Jon Owen
Jon Owen
Jon Owen is an American luge official who competed in the sport in the late 1980s. He is best known for becoming the first person to slide down the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track used for the 2002 Winter Olympics in January 1997 at the Park City, Utah venue.Owen finished 23rd in the men's...
on January 10, 1997. The day lodge was also completed.
While construction was progressing on the track, Salt Lake City won its 1995 bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics, and plans were developed to expand the park. On October 9, 1997 SLOC okayed the plan to spend an additional $48 million to upgrade and expand the park. The plans called for replacing the existing 90-meter ski jump, and building a new 120-meter jump. Also the construction of starting houses on the track, chairlifts, storage buildings, new access roads, pedestrian bridges, parking and sewer and water lines were part of the plan. The transform of the park began during the Summer of 1998, and ownership of the park was transferred from the Utah Sports Authority to SLOC on July 14, 1999. In Spring 2000 the Utah Winter Sports Park became the Utah Olympic Park, and the majority of expansion work was completed by that fall.
Main Media Center
The Main Media Center (MMC) was located in the Salt Palace Convention CenterSalt Palace
This article describes a large building in Utah. A one-story building made of locally mined salt blocks in Grand Saline, Texas is also called the "Salt Palace"....
in downtown Salt Lake City. The Main Media Center hosted both the International Broadcast Center (IBC) and the Main Press Center (MPC) during the games. The Salt Palace Convention Center was the second building in Salt Lake City to carry that name, the first having been destroyed by fire in 1910. The Salt Palace used during the Olympics had originally been constructed in 1969, pushed by Salt Lake's failed bid for the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
. It was an arena with a capacity of 10,725 spectators, but after Salt Lake lost its bid, the arena became the home of the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
and the NBA's Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. After the Utah Jazz moved next door to the newly constructed Delta Center, the majority of the Salt Palace was demolished, including the arena. What remained was remodeled and expanded to create the Convention Center used during the games.
The Main Media Center had a total of 515000 square feet (47,845.1 m²) of exhibit space, 164000 square feet (15,236.1 m²) of meeting space including a 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²) grand ballroom, and 66 meeting rooms. It had a total capacity of 20,000 people, and more than 15534 miles (24,999.5 km) of fiber-optic cable installed in Salt Lake City allowed the MMC to hand 2 million inbound calls a day.
Olympic Medals Plaza
The Olympic Medals Plaza was located on the corner of South Temple and 300 West (block 85) in downtown Salt Lake City, within the Olympic Square. It was one of a few completely temporary venues, which was removed following the completion of both the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2002 Winter Paralympics. The site of the Medals Plaza is a parking lot owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is often used for temporary events. The Church donated free use of the property for the 2002 games, along with $5 million to transform the parking lot into an Olympic class Medals Plaza. On August 11, 1999, the same day the plaza's location was announced, a tornado hit downtown Salt Lake City killing one man at the site of the future plaza. Some of Salt Lake's citizens, including many in its City Council, had preferred Washington Square, near the City & County BuildingSalt Lake City and County Building
The Salt Lake City and County Building, usually called the "City-County Building", is the seat of government for Salt Lake City, Utah. The historic landmark formerly housed offices for Salt Lake County government as well, hence the name.- History :...
, or Pioneer Park as the location for the Medals Plaza. Nevertheless SLOC accepted the Church's offer because they were willing to help pay the costs, and the parking lot was an entire city block in size, which would allow a large number of spectators. Construction on the plaza began December 3, 2001, and the final touches were being finished when the plaza was unveiled to the press on January 25, 2002.
The plaza could hold 20,000 spectators, with 9,000 in the stands and another 11,000 in standing areas. The stage, which was centered directly in front, was kept hidden by a medal curtain known as the Hoberman Arch
Hoberman Arch
The Hoberman Arch was the centerpiece of the Olympic Medals Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Following the Olympics the arch was moved to the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park where it is now, along with the Olympic cauldron, one the main highlights and an...
, and flanked by two large 22 by 30 feet (9.1 m) video screens. The stage was decorated with a large 3D version of the Olympic logo, which held a second Olympic cauldron. Known as the Hero's Cauldron, was the first time a Olympic game had two cauldrons. A large 67 feet (20.4 m) lighting/production tower stood directly in front of the stage, and was surrounded by the standing areas. The plaza also included an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
studio, and a three story building with 17 boxed suites; rented out for $92,500 each.
Every night following the presentation of the medals, an Olympic Celebration Concert would be held. A different artist performed every night, and American footballer Steve Young hosted the event; following each concert was a firework display. The Medals Plaza also hosted the Closing Ceremony for the 2002 Winter Paralympics on March 16, 2002.
Olympic Celebration Series concerts
| Date | Performing Artist |
|---|---|
| 9 February | Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was... |
| 10 February | Lifehouse Lifehouse (band) Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia... |
| 11 February | Foo Fighters Foo Fighters Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War... |
| 12 February | Macy Gray Macy Gray Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,... |
| 13 February | Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto... |
| 14 February | Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop... |
| 15 February | Smash Mouth Smash Mouth Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively... |
| 16 February | Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists... |
| 17 February | Train Train (band) Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood .... |
| 18 February | Nelly Furtado Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy... |
| 19 February | Creed Creed (band) Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an... |
| 20 February | Marc Anthony Marc Anthony Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads... |
| 21 February | Alanis Morissette Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... |
| 22 February | Goo Goo Dolls Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska... |
| 23 February | *NSYNC |
| 24 February | Martina McBride Martina McBride Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range.... |
| 25 February | The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... |
Olympic Village
The 2002 Olympic Village was located 4 miles (6 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, at Historic Fort DouglasFort Douglas, Utah
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862 as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, for the purpose of protecting the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. In 1878, the post was renamed Fort Douglas. The fort was officially...
, on the campus of the University of Utah. Fort Douglas, a U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
base, had been established in 1862 but was closed in 1991; from the earliest stages of Olympic planning the fort was a possible location for the Olympic Village. Following the fort's closure the University of Utah acquired much of its property, and began planning to restore the historic buildings and build new dorms and apartment buildings for its students on the property. SLOC agreed to pay $28 million of the projected $80 million construction cost, if the buildings could be used to house up to 4,000 Olympic athletes during the games. Several Army reserve units that were still located at the fort had to be moved to nearby military installations such as the Ogden Defense Depot
Defense Depot Ogden Utah
Defense Depot Ogden was a U.S. military installation located in Ogden, Utah. It encompassed with its southeast corner located on 12th Street and Tomlinson Avenue...
and Camp Williams
Camp W. G. Williams
Camp W. G. Williams, also known as Army Garrison Camp Williams, is a National Guard training site operated by the Utah National Guard. It is located south of Bluffdale, west of Lehi, and north of Saratoga Springs and Cedar Fort, approximately south of Salt Lake City, straddling the border between...
before work on the village could progress. But in October 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
vetoed a $12.7 million appropriation bill, that would have allowed the remaining military units to move, and temporary killed the plans for the Olympic Village. On October 24, 1997 the Senate Appropriations Committee
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
overturned the President's veto, and soon after both houses of congress voted in favor the committee's decision, effectively voiding the President's veto. Prior to the start of construction a $500,000 archaeological survey of the sites was completed.
Plans were completed and work on the Olympic Village began in the Summer of 1998. The project was to include the restoration of many historic buildings and the construction of 21 low-rise apartment buildings. The first phase of construction, a six-building complex for graduate student housing, was completed September 7, 1999, while future phases were almost completed when the future village open for media tours on January 26, 2001. As part of the plan Legacy Bridge was built spanning Wasatch Boulevard.
During the 2002 games the Olympic Village housed the athletes, coaches and other officials, many of the historic buildings in the fort housed services for the athletes including 24-hour dining facilities, a fitness center, a internet center, a bank, dry cleaning, mail services, a photo shop, salon, nightclub, and interfaith chapel. The village was divided into two parts, the International Zone and Residential Zone. The International Zone was where media and guests could visit the village, and many of the athlete services were located. The Residential Zone was athletes only and invited guests only and included the chapel and nightclub. The Olympic Family Hotel was also located inside the village during the games. During the 2002 Winter Paralympics the Olympic Village also served the paralympic athletes. Prior to the Olympics the parts of the village that had been completed were used as student housing, their post-Olympic use also.
Park City Main Street
During the 2002 games much of Park City's Main Street was closed to all but pedestrians. The Main Street Celebration area included three large video screens with Olympic coverage, an NBC broadcast area, performing artists, pin trading, Sponsor Showcases, food, and entertainment. The Main Street Celebration was open from 11 am to 11 pm, and was open to the public free of charge. The Park City Technical Center was also part of this venue.Rice–Eccles Olympic Stadium
Rice–Eccles Stadium is an American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium located 3 miles (5 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City, on the campus of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. It is the home field of the Utah Utes
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
, who are soon to be part of the Pacific-10 Conference. The stadium sits at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 4657 feet (1,419.5 m) above sea level, and 350 feet (106.7 m) above downtown Salt Lake City. Rice–Eccles Stadium had its start when the university built Ute Stadium in 1927, and over the years the stadium was expanded and improved. By the time Salt Lake City won its Olympic bid in 1995, Rice Stadium (as it was then known) had a spectator capacity of only 32,500 persons. Plans called for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 games to be held at the stadium, and with this in mind, the stadium was almost completely demolished after the 1997 football season. Expansion work was completed in fall 1998 and the stadium opened for the first game of the season on September 12, 1998; with seating for 45,017 spectators.
During the 2002 games the stadium served as the venue for the Opening Ceremony on February 8, 2002, and for the Closing Ceremony on February 24, 2002. In order to host the ceremonies the grass field was paved over with asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
and a stage was constructed, scoreboards were removed, flags and Olympic livery were installed, temporary seating was brought in (allowing more than 50,000 spectators) and the 2002 Olympic Cauldron was installed atop the southern bleachers. An estimated 3.5 billion people watched the Opening and Closing Ceremonies on television, through broadcasts from the stadium. The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Paralympics was also held in the stadium on March 7, 2002.
Salt Lake Olympic Square
The Salt Lake Olympic Square was located in downtown Salt Lake City, and was a four-block area open only to pedestrians during the 2002 games. The Olympic Square was home to two other venues, the Olympic Medals Plaza and the Salt Lake Ice Center. It also included the 22000 sq ft (2,043.9 m²) Olympic Superstore, which sold officially licensed products. The square also housed the Sponsor Showcases and featured live music, food, drink, and other activities including the Olympic Celebration Series concerts. The square, open from 11 am to midnight, was open to the public free of charge.External links
- Utah Athletic Foundation - Operates many of Salt Lake's Olympic Venues