Utah Olympic Park Track

File:Utah Olympic Park luge curve.jpg

In 1989, Utah's voters passed the Olympic referendum, allowing taxpayer money to be used to construct a winter sports park, which would include the track. The park would be used if Salt Lake City won its bid for either the 1998 or 2002 Winter Olympics and following the games, Olympic funds and revenue would then be used to repay the state. In 1990, the Utah Sports Authority announced their plans to build the park, which included ski jumps and a bobsled/luge track, in Bear Hollow near Park City.{{cite news |title=Summit County likely will win Olympics Prize: A Sports Park |author=Joel Campbell |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/109894/SUMMIT-COUNTY-LIKELY-WILL-WIN-OLYMPICS-PRIZE-A-SPORTS-PARK.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022042554/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/109894/SUMMIT-COUNTY-LIKELY-WILL-WIN-OLYMPICS-PRIZE-A-SPORTS-PARK.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |newspaper=Deseret News |date=June 29, 1990 |access-date=December 26, 2010}}

The following year, on June 15, 1991, Salt Lake City lost its 1998 Winter Olympics bid by four votes to Nagano, Japan.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml |title=Past Results |author=Games Bids Inc. |year=2009 |access-date=December 26, 2010}} Still, construction on the park commenced following a groundbreaking ceremony on May 29, 1991. The original estimated cost of the park was $26.3 million and included the ski jumps, bobsled/luge track, and a day lodge; following the completion of the ski jumps they were formally dedicated in a ceremony on January 9, 1993.{{cite news |title=Winter Sports Park gets underway |author=Lisa Riley Roche |newspaper=Deseret News |date=May 29, 1991}} The track was designed by German luge coach Josef Lenz.{{cite news |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2002/02/12/legendarische-rodelaar-brengt-soapfans-in-extase-7577098-a519484 |title=Legendarische rodelaar brengt soapfans in extase |last=van Holland |first=Guus |date=12 February 2002 |website=NRC.nl |language=nl |trans-title=Legendary luger brings soap fans into ecstasy|access-date=13 January 2019}}

A ceremony on June 3, 1994, signaled the start of construction on the bobsled/luge track.{{cite news |title=Hopes are high for 2002 at track groundbreaking |author=Lisa Riley Roche |url=https://www.deseret.com/1994/6/4/19112789/hopes-are-high-for-2002-at-track-groundbreaking/ |newspaper=Deseret News |date=June 4, 1994 |access-date=December 26, 2010}} The track was completed December 28, 1996 and its grand opening ceremony was held on January 25, 1997. The very first run on the new track was by luger Jon Owen on January 10, 1997.{{cite web |url=http://www.olyparks.com/uop/track.asp |title=Bobsled/Luge/Skeleton Track |author=Utah Athletic Foundation |year=2007 |work=Utah Athletic Foundation website |access-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715001927/http://www.olyparks.com/uop/track.asp |url-status=dead }} Following the completion of the track it was decided to reintroduce skeleton as an Olympic event during the 2002 Winter Olympics and plans called to use the track to host all three sliding three events.

While construction was progressing on the track, Salt Lake City had won its 1995 bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics, and plans were developed to expand the park. On October 9, 1997, the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) authorized the plan to spend an additional $48 million to upgrade and expand the recently completed park. The plans called for the construction of starting houses on the track, chairlifts, storage buildings, and new access roads.{{cite news |title=Olympic Funds: the Vote, the Veto; Trustees Elect to Spend $48 million on Sports Park Upgrade |author=Mike Gorrell |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=October 10, 1997}} Ownership of the Park was transferred to SLOC from the Utah Sports Authority on July 14, 1999, and soon after the park's name was changed from the Utah Winter Sports Park to the Utah Olympic Park.

During the 2002 games, the track hosted 74,187 bobsleigh spectators, 14,860 skeleton spectators, and 64,104 luge spectators.{{cite book |title=Official Report of the XIX Olympic Winter Games |last=Salt Lake Organizing Committee |year=2002 |isbn=0-9717961-0-6 |pages=85–86 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/2002v1.pdf |access-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-date=January 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114081247/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/2002v1.pdf |url-status=dead }}

The track will once again serve as a venue during the 2034 Winter Olympics, hosting the same events as it did in 2002. {{Cite web |date=2024-06-12 |title=IOC Feasibility Assessment of Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 |url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Future-Host/ioc-feasibility-assessment-future-olympic-winter-games-salt-lake-city-utah.pdf |access-date=2024-07-24}}

File:Skeleton start.JPG

Costing about $25 million to construct, the track uses 297,000 watts of track lighting, 62 water hydrants (for ice- and snowmaking), 24 cameras, eight scoreboards, and 49 timing points.{{cite web |url=http://www.olyparks.com/uop/track.asp |title=Bobsled/Luge/Skeleton Track |author=Utah Athletic Foundation |year=2007 |work=Utah Athletic Foundation website |access-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715001927/http://www.olyparks.com/uop/track.asp |url-status=dead }} Generally open from October to the end of March annually, the track takes a total of 18 days to ice down to the required thickness needed to run sliding events. The track has {{convert|54|mi|0}} of piping with {{convert|110000|lb}} of ammonia refrigeration able to keep the track to {{convert|-14|F|C|abbr=on}}."Ice". Modern Marvels. February 11, 2007. During the operating season, a nine-man crew smooths the track daily. A total of 59 temperature probes are located throughout the track to ensure the ice temperature is properly monitored. Throughout the track, a $1 million retractable shading system protects the course from sun and snow, which reduces energy usage by 25 percent and the need to clear the track from snow.

File:BobsldRun.jpg

File:0405 Utah Oly Park top of run.jpg

File:Matt Curve-6.JPG

• The elevation at the base is {{convert|6982|ft}} above sea level.{{cite web |url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/tracks/track/12/Park%20City |publisher=IBSF |title=Park City |agency=(tracks) |access-date=17 January 2020}}

The turn names were given by John Morgan during Speed Channel's World Cup bobsleigh coverage on December 17 & 23, 2006."Park City Two-woman". Bobsleigh 2006–07 World Cup. December 17, 2006."Park City Two-man". Bobsleigh 2006–07 World Cup. December 23, 2006 All curves shown are bobsleigh. Men's singles' luge joins after turn two while women's singles and men's doubles luge joins after turn three. Turns 1, 2, 3, 13, and 15 do not have turn names. The section between curves 14 and 15 is the fastest, leading into a long finish straight that was referred to by Morgan as the "Graveyard" section because you could lose both time and speed if you hit the walls leading to that turn.

Up until 2009, the track was considered the "World's Fastest Ice" and was where American luger Tony Benshoof set the highest recorded luge speed of {{convert|86.6|mph|km/h}} on October 16, 2001, which made the Guinness Book of World Records.[http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_877.htm United States Olympic Committee profile of Tony Benshoof for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.] – accessed January 30, 2008. Benshoof's speed record was eclipsed at the 2008-09 Luge World Cup season finale at the Whistler Sliding Centre in British Columbia, Canada, when Felix Loch of Germany reached a top speed of {{convert|153.98|km/h|abbr=on}} on February 21, 2009.{{FIL-Luge link|url1 = http://www.fil-luge.org/News-Detail.155.0.html?&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = pS|url2 = =1233442800&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = pL|url3 = =2419199&tx_ttnews|bracket3 = arc|url4 = =1&tx_ttnews|bracket4 = tt_news|url5 = =10379&tx_ttnews|bracket5 = backPid|url6 = =157&cHash=1c12cdc5a6|title = David Möller realizes his first victory of the season.}} (22 February 2009 article accessed February 22 2009.)

• Winter Olympics: 2002
• FIL World Luge Championships: 2005FIL World Luge Championships results since 1955
• Skeleton World Cup: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016
• Luge World Cup: 2001, 2003,2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016

{{reflist}}

• [http://utaholympiclegacy.com/ Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation] – Official website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110719073039/http://fibt.pixabit.de/index.php?id=157&track_id=13&L=0 International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (FIBT)] – Track profile
• [http://www.fil-luge.org/filext/Track/parkcity_en.htm International Luge Federation (FIL)] – Track profile

{{2002 Winter Olympic venues}}

{{Olympic venues bobsleigh}}

{{Olympic venues luge}}

{{Olympic venues skeleton}}

{{Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks}}

Category:Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics

Category:Olympic bobsleigh venues

Category:Olympic luge venues

Category:Olympic skeleton venues

Category:Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks

Category:Sports venues in Utah

Category:Sports venues in Summit County, Utah

Category:Sports venues completed in 1997

Category:Buildings and structures in Park City, Utah