When the excitement of the holidays is over, traditionally everyone settles down for a long winter nap. Not this year! The excitement will start anew on February 8 with the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. If you are looking for an activity to fill the gray days of winter, the Winter Olympics could be right for you. Thanks to the high tech world, your trusty computer with its Internet connection can be almost as good as being there.
A Look Back
The history of the Olympics is part of what makes the Games so special and so enticing. For a wonderful look back, visit the Olympic Museum, which has a great section on the Olympic Winter Games. The first Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France in 1924 and included 294 athletes from 16 nations taking part in 14 events. This year, the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City will involve more than 2000 athletes representing over 70 nations and competing in 78 different events.
Included in the Olympic Winter Games area of the Olympic Museum is a time line that offers a retrospective look at each Winter Olympics since Sarajevo in 1984. Details from earlier Olympiads going all the way back to Chamonix in 1924 will be posted in the near future. Click on each Winter Game by name to enjoy an overview giving dates, participation numbers, and other pertinent statistics. The heroes of each particular game are highlighted, and the “Did You Know” section will fill you full of history. If you are a statistics or trivia buff, there is plenty at the Olympic Museum Winter Games site to keep you busy on a cold winter afternoon.
For the granddaddy of all Olympic sites, visit the official Olympic site, This is the place to brush up on the activities of the International Olympic Committee, check out the Olympic collectors, and/or become familiar with the Olympic Television Archive Bureau. Each of the three coming events has its own site: Salt Lake, 2002; Athens, 2004; and Torino, 2006. You can get to the Salt Lake event through this portal or go directly to the official site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games at http://www.saltlake2002.com.
Current Activities
So you have decided to make the Olympics your winter entertainment. Then www.saltlake2002.com will become a favorite. Preparation for the Games starts here; you’ll get so much information it will be like a daily conditioning workout.
If you are one of the lucky ones who may visit Salt Lake in person, you will be interested in the ticket section with details on ticket auctions as well as tickets for the games, the Olympic Arts Festival, and the 2002 Paralympics Winter Games. Those getting ready to visit will appreciate knowing the latest on transportation, accommodations, weather, and venues. How about being more active than just playing with the mouse and keyboard? Want to be involved? Find out about employment and/or volunteer opportunities. How about volunteering for the 2002 Olympics and/or Paralympics Winter Games? All this information and more are packed into the site.
To keep you in the know about current happenings, visit Sports, Schedules, Athletes, Spectator Information, Shopping, and Games Programs. Did you know the Olympic Torch is back in America? Relive interesting moments from the Olympic Torch Relay. Keep up with the athletes’ activities as they prepare for the Games. Get to know the players. Athlete Bios will fill you in. You can get an even more personal impression of an athlete by listening to the Athlete’s Voice as he or she expresses what their sport means to them. Don’t overlook the Feature Stories; they will bombard you with interesting articles such as the top ten stories heading to Salt Lake or “September 11 Volunteer for Red Cross Carries the Torch.”
This Web site offers some truly interesting information. I found out for the first time in modern history, winning athletes are going to receive two different bouquets. Hallmark is reinstating a custom followed at the first Olympics by presenting two bouquets to winning athletes. Athletes at the first games earned a palm branch as a sign of victory after each game and later were given an olive wreath. This year Hallmark will prepare over 52,000 floral pieces for the winning athletes.
Want to interest your children or grandchildren in your new winter activity? There is a great For Kids section (listed under the Games Programs) on this Web site. Kids can choose between three puzzles - cryptogram, word scramble, or word search - or they can enjoy a print-out of four different Olympic-themed coloring books. Information about the Youth Sport Activities covers five programs currently underway to help find the heroes of tomorrow.
In the Future
During the Games, exclusive live results featured on this Web site will be the fastest and the most comprehensive ever. Visitors to the http://www.saltlake 2002.com site will view slide shows of colorful images and hear narratives that share the Olympic story. Coverage will offer real time details not previously available to even TV audiences. The broadcast schedule featured on the Web site will be the most in-depth in the history of television sports. Plan to enjoy a detailed chronology and description of what to expect on the NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC broadcasts.
A Gold Medal Winner
For the first time ever, the Organizing Committee has fully integrated the Internet into its preparations for the Games. Users now have one source for all official Games information. The SaltLake2002.com site is a true Gold Medal winner and is also the largest event Web site in sports history. Produced by MSNBC.com, the leading Internet news source, its goal is to deliver the most comprehensive Web site in Olympic history. www.saltlake202.com deserves to win a Gold Medal for its efforts.
Have we filled your dreary winter days with excitement over the 2002 Winter Olympics? How about a constant Olympic reminder? The official Winter Games site invites you to download a free Olympic screensaver. This Salt Lake 2002 screensaver will be a colorful reminder that all the activity and fun of the 2002 Winter Games are only a click away.
