A decade later: Reflections on the SLC Olympics
With February marking the 10-year anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympics, USU students have taken a look back on when the world came to Salt Lake City. Even though many were just children, the memories they hold are still prevalent in their minds.
Some remembered the debut of women’s bobsledding, the commemorative Olympic berets or the controversies over figure skating, and others recalled their personal experiences from a decade ago.
For Danielle Olsen, a junior majoring in piano pedagogy, the 2002 Olympics provided an opportunity for her to see the world. As a 13-year-old, Olsen was introduced to cultures she said she may have never experienced otherwise. Although she attended multiple events with her family, Olsen said the Paralympics — Olympic games for athletes with disabilities — had the greatest impact.
“The Paralympic hockey match was the most inspiring — especially for me at that age,” she said. “It showed that people can do amazing things when they have more to overcome. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the triumph.”
Kristin Peterson, a junior majoring in human movement science, celebrated the 2002 Olympics long before they arrived in Salt Lake City. Her family purchased tickets for five events months in advance to ensure an opportunity for involvement.
“I don’t think I went to school for an entire week,” she said. “It was the first time my dad let us miss, because he thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Though the 2002 Olympics officially ended with the closing ceremonies, evidence of the event lives on in the Peterson home.
“We watch the Olympics now in our ‘Olympic basement,'” Peterson said. “We have all of our pins displayed, our Roots berets and Olympic paintings that we bought in Park City.”
Richard Orcutt, an economics student from Pleasant Grove, was in junior high school at the time of the Olympics. Though he also attended the games, his experience was not so enjoyable, he said.
“I got out of school to see the ski jumping event, but it was so windy that we only saw one person jump,” he said.
Brady Mathews, a senior in the interior design program, recalled the surprise he felt by the lack of community support.
“My family went to the Kazakhstan versus Georgia women’s hockey game,” Mathews said. “I remember thinking it was a really big deal. But when we got there, the venue wasn’t even halfway full.”
Despite initial disappointment, Mathews said he enjoyed the event and even found it educational.
“I remember being really confused at first because I had never realized that Georgia was also a country,” he said. “My family decided to cheer for Kazakhstan.”
As some USU students watched from the crowd, others took part in the events.
Kate Richardson, a junior majoring in FCHD, performed in “The Light of the World” production at the LDS Conference Center.
“We got free food every day, and I saw a lot of what people never get to see behind the scenes,” she said. “There is a cafeteria underneath the road between the conference center and the tabernacle. It’s awesome.”
Natalie Thatcher, a public relations major, also participated in Olympic events. Along with her friends and younger sister, she performed in both the opening and closing ceremonies.
“Our performance at Rice Eccles Stadium was choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who also choreographed ‘High School Musical,'” Thatcher said. “We had so many rehearsals that went all day, outside, in the freezing cold. My sister cried every time we had to go to practice.”
When she wasn’t performing, Thatcher said she would watch the events from home.
“I was so into the Olympics that I watched every event on TV,” Thatcher said. “I was such a Michelle Kwan fan and it broke my heart when she took third place.”
In contrast to Richardson’s and Thatcher’s involvement with the Olympics, USU alumnus Brad Henrie said he wishes he’d taken advantage of the opportunity.
“I look back and realize that it’s never going to happen again,” he said. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity happened 40 miles away, and I didn’t do anything about it.”
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