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2002 Winter Olympic Games
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The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The motto chosen was Light The Fire Within
Salt Lake City became the most populated area to have ever hosted a Winter Olympics; at the time of the Olympics its metropolitan population was 1,516,227[1]. It was also the most ecologically varied area to hold the Winter Olympics; a large hot and arid desert lies just to the south of Salt Lake City.
Bids
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Other candidate cities were: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Sion, Valais, Switzerland; and Östersund, Sweden. Salt Lake City was selected as host city on June 16, 1995, at the 104th IOC Session in Budapest, Hungary. Olympic venues were scattered around Salt Lake City, as well as in the mountains at Park City, Ogden, and Provo. Athletes were housed in the Olympic Village at the University of Utah.
The information below comes from the International Olympic Committee Vote History web page.
Highlights
- The opening ceremonies included Grammy Award-winning artist, LeAnn Rimes singing "Light the Fire Within," the official song of the 2002 Olympics.
- John Williams composed "Call of the Champions," his third official theme for an Olympiad, and his first for a Winter Olympiad. It was performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the official motto of the Olympic Games "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stronger). The premiere of the work at the opening ceremonies also corresponded with John Williams' 70th Birthday. The work is featured on the CD "American Journey."
- Along with the flag that flew at the World Trade Center site, the Challenger flag was also carried into the stadium.
- The opening segment of the opening ceremony, celebrated all previous hosts of the Olympic Winter Games. [1] [2]
- These were the first Games to be held under IOC president Jacques Rogge.
- Skeleton returned as a medal sport in the 2002 Games for the first time since 1948.
- Ireland reached its best ever position and came close to winning its first winter medal when Clifton Wrottesley (Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley, 6th Baron Wrottesley) finished fourth in the men's skeleton event.
- The Women's Bobsled Event had its debut at the 2002 Games after several years of World Cup competition.
- A feature of these Games has been the emergence of the so-called "extreme" sports, such as snowboarding, moguls and aerials, which appeared in previous Olympic Winter Games but have captured greater public attention in recent years.
- American Sarah Hughes won the gold medal in figure skating. American and heavy favorite Michelle Kwan fell during her long program and received the bronze medal.
- China won its first and second Winter Olympic gold medals, both by women's short track speed skater Yang Yang (A).
- One of the most memorable stories of the event occurred at the men's short track. Australian skater Steven Bradbury, a competitor who had won a bronze in 1994 as part of a relay team but well off the pace of the medal favourites, cruised off the pace in his semifinal only to see three of his competitors crash into each other, allowing him to finish second and go through to the final. Bradbury was again well off the pace, but lightning struck again and all four other competitors crashed out in the final turn, leaving a jubilant Bradbury to take the most unlikely of gold medals, the first for Australia – or any other country of the Southern Hemisphere – in the Olympic Winter Games.
- The closing ceremonies marked the final live performance of Kiss with its lineup of Stanley/Simmons/Frehley/Singer. They performed "Rock and Roll All Nite." Other artists performing at the 2002 ceremonies were Yo Yo Ma, R. Kelly, Christina Aguilera, Sting, Dianne Reeves, Harry Connick Jr., Dorothy Hamill, Dave Matthews Band, *NSYNC, Earth, Wind & Fire, Josh Groban, Charlotte Church and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Detail of the 2002 Winter Games Olympic Torch
- There was a Canadian dollar underneath the ice in support of the Canadian Mens team, supposedly placed there at the request of Wayne Gretzky, who knew the man responsible for ice upkeep.
Controversies
- Prior to these Olympic Winter Games, a number of IOC members were forced to resign after it was uncovered that they had accepted bribes in return for voting for Salt Lake City to hold the Games. IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge and new CEO of the Salt Lake Games Mitt Romney then staged the Games and contended with the public opinion backlash due to the scandal.
- Further information: 2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal
- Further information: 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal
- Athletes in short-track speed skating and cross-country skiing were disqualified for various reasons (including doping by two Russians and one Spaniard in cross-country skiing), leading Russia to file protests and threaten to withdraw from competition.
- Unproven allegations of bribery were leveled against many ice skating judges, leading to the arrest (at the request of the United States) and release of known criminal Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov by Italian officials.
- While there was a lot of international sympathy for the US in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, there were complaints that the Games were being conducted in a too patriotic or jingoistic way. In particular, President Bush was criticized for breaches of protocol, most of all for departing from the Olympic charter by extending the declaration to open the Games when he said, “On behalf of a proud, determined and grateful nation”, before adding the traditional formula, “I declare open the Games of Salt Lake City”.[2]
Security measures
These Olympic games were the first since September 11, 2001, which meant a higher level of security than ever before provided for the Games. The Office of Homeland Security (OHS) designated the Olympics a National Special Security Event (NSSE).
Aerial Survelance and radar control was provided by the marines of Marine Air Control Squadron 2 det C, from Cherry Point NC.
When he spoke during the opening ceremonies, Jacques Rogge, presiding over his first olympics as IOC president, told the athletes of the United States, the host country:
"Your nation is overcoming a horrific tragedy, a tragedy that has affected the whole world. We stand united with you in the promotion of our common ideals, and hope for world peace."[3] [4]
Medals awarded
Salt Lake City 2002 bronze medals
Venues
NOTE: Because of the no-commercialisation policy of the Olympics, the Delta Center was labeled as the "Salt Lake Ice Center," causing some confusion for visitors.
Medal count
- Further information: 2002 Winter Olympics medal table
Participating nations
77 National Olympic Committees sent athletes to the Salt Lake City games.
References
See also
External links
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