Remembering the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — As Salt Lake City prepares for the final announcement about the location of the 2034 Winter Olympics , ABC4’s Craig Wirth brings back memories and footage of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In 2002, the Olympic torch arrived in the Beehive State just five months after 9/11. When the torch arrived, Wirth said the people of Utah — and the United States — could cheer again.

During the Olympics, there were soldiers and barriers throughout Salt Lake City. The city got spruced up as it waited for the big moment, but the Olympic Village was surrounded by electrified wire and police officers were seen far and wide.

When the torch arrived at City Hall, people could cheer again. President George W. Bush also arrived in Utah and spoke of the pride that came with hosting the games.

People had fun and crowded into downtown Salt Lake. Restaurants served meals long into the night and people partied — one way to get into a party was to bring a real gold medal.

Besides parties, other popular activities were pin-collecting, getting tickets for figure-skating events and entertainment shows, and even getting a popular Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic hat.

ABC4.com will bring live coverage of the International Olympic Committee’s announcement at 3 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Tune in to ABC4 News on July 24 to learn the fate of the 2034 Winter Games.

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