2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 8 to February 24, 2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. This was the fourth time the United States hosted the Olympic Games, and the first time since the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

Bidding Process

Salt Lake City was awarded the 2002 Winter Olympics on June 16, 1995, at the 104th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Budapest, Hungary. The city won the bid over other candidates such as Sion, Switzerland; Östersund, Sweden; and Québec City, Canada.

Venues

The games were held at various venues in and around Salt Lake City, including:

• Rice-Eccles Stadium – Opening and closing ceremonies
• Utah Olympic Park – Ski jumping, bobsleigh, luge
• Deer Valley – Freestyle skiing
• Park City Mountain Resort – Snowboarding
• Soldier Hollow – Cross-country skiing, biathlon

Sports

The 2002 Winter Olympics featured 78 events across 7 sports:

• Alpine skiing
• Biathlon
• Bobsleigh
• Cross-country skiing
• Curling
• Figure skating
• Freestyle skiing
• Ice hockey
• Luge
• Nordic combined
• Short track speed skating
• Skeleton
• Ski jumping
• Snowboarding
• Speed skating

Highlights

The 2002 Winter Olympics were notable for several reasons:

• The games were overshadowed by the September 11 attacks in 2001, leading to heightened security measures.
• The United States won 34 medals, the most by any nation at these games.
• Canada won its first gold medal in men's ice hockey since 1952.
• The games were marred by a judging scandal in the pairs figure skating competition, leading to changes in the scoring system.

Controversies

The Salt Lake City bid scandal emerged in 1998, when it was revealed that members of the Salt Lake City bid committee had bribed IOC members to secure the games. This led to significant reforms in the IOC's bidding process.

Legacy

The 2002 Winter Olympics left a lasting legacy in Utah, with many of the venues still in use today for training and competitions. The games also contributed to the development of infrastructure in the region.

Also see

• Olympic Games
• Winter Olympic Games
• 2006 Winter Olympics
• 1980 Winter Olympics
• International Olympic Committee