Opinion
OPINION: As a 2002 Olympic volunteer, my hopes for 2034
It’s official.
During last week’s ramp-up to the start of the Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced that Salt Lake City was being awarded the privilege of hosting the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.
The roots of this successful outcome actually go as far back as 1995, when Salt Lake City won the bidding war for the 2002 Games.
That triggered an enormous investment in infrastructure and venues. Unlike in other host countries, most of it was privately funded. After the bid scandal led to the hiring of Mitt Romney, he spearheaded efforts to raise the remainder of the money needed.
As a result, the 2002 Games ended with a surplus of $40 million (about $70 million in today’s dollars), which was used to pay for the formation of the Utah Athletic Foundation.
That entity has since maintained the facilities built for the 2002 Olympics. The venues have continued to be used for national and international winter sports events, which was demonstrably one of the reasons Salt Lake City received the nod for 2034.
The 2002 Games were the first to be held after 9/11, and the ever-present security prevented any major issues without becoming completely overbearing.
It was also the first time that both the regular Games and the Paralympics were organized by a single group, in this case the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. The resulting efficiencies were so notable that this pattern has been followed by every host since.
I had a chance to see the inner workings of the 2002 Games up close and personal. I was one of the tens of thousands of Utahns who volunteered to serve, but because of my background in sports writing, I was accorded a very special assignment.
After going through the screening that every volunteer did, I heard nothing for weeks after getting a form letter informing me that I was “likely” to be assigned as a helper in the media area.
Then one day, out of the blue, I received a phone call. It was the director of the Olympic News Service inquiring whether I would be interested in and could commit to the requirements for a position with his organization.
Fortunately for me, my then-employer and my family were willing to support me in this endeavor, so I jumped on board. I was one of the first seven selected for a staff that eventually numbered 80+, most of them international event experts brought in from around the world.
The ONS provided baseline newswire coverage for every event of the Games. Those who were selected early were offered their choice of sports and venues when all options were open. I chose to cover ice hockey at the Seven Peaks arena.
This was a close location that would keep me out of the Salt Lake traffic—although the transportation planning was so good that traffic was never a major issue—but my main reason for choosing this option had nothing to do with that.
My father was a hockey player of considerable note in his day, and I grew up with the sport. This year was the first time professional hockey players were allowed to compete. The Games included 200 of the world’s best players, and I was thrilled for the opportunity to cover them.
The commitment required for this assignment was staggering. We trained for a year in evening sessions and all day on some Saturdays, with mounds of reading and exercises done at home.
We also did the training that all volunteers did so we could answer the random questions that visitors would ask anyone in uniform. It amounted to more than 100 hours of preparation in all.
During the Games I worked 12-hour shifts every day after putting in several hours at my regular job early in the morning. On one particular Friday, the shift was 16 hours. On my one day off a week, I spent about 14 hours doing the essential tasks of my regular job to keep things going there.
It was exhausting, but also exhilarating. I saw every team of both genders that qualified for the hockey tournaments at least once, and after the Peaks arena closed and the medal rounds were completed at what’s now known as the Maverik Center, I was sent there.
Not counting commute time, I donated about 170 hours of my life to the Olympics in 17 days.
From my perspective, not even the smallest details were left to chance. The vast majority of participants, whether they were athletes, coaches, spectators, staff or volunteers, had an overwhelmingly positive experience overall.
Here’s hoping that we can use what we learned in 2002 to make the 2034 event at least as successful as—or even better than—the first one.
