02/09/2001

By Cathy Harasta / The Dallas Morning News

The road to staging a Winter Olympics often has resembled a treacherous slalom ski run for planners. But little did Salt Lake City Winter Games organizers know their path would be greased by ...

PREVIEW 2002: Preparation successes: Outlook is good for making money, winning medals Potential snags: Complaints from figure skaters and environmentalists lead the list Schedule: Friday, Feb. 9 First full day of competition through Sunday, Feb. 24 Closing ceremonies Budget: $1.32 billion Largest single expense: Venues ($425 million) Permanent venues: 10, including two hockey rinks and three areas for Alpine skiing Number of events: 78 Number of participants: 3,500 athletes and officials Number of new events: 10, including women's bobsled and skeleton – a headfirst, stomach-to-the-sled form of sliding Tickets: 769,701 already requested of 793,000 available for U.S. buyers. Visit www.saltlake2002.com. Thickets cost from $25 for cross country skiing to $885 for the Feb. 8 Opening Ceremonies.

A cooking aid found in almost every kitchen pantry.

With one year until the first full competition day on Feb. 9, 2002, Salt Lake City Games officials saluted the day they learned trucked-in snow is useless if it can't be budged from the truck.

There they were, stuck with tons of transported snow that stubbornly adhered to the dump-truck beds at the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue last year. They since have sprayed truck surfaces with Pam – the same stuff that keeps food from sticking to cookware. And an Olympic-preparation benchmark was born.

"The lessons you learn are kind of funny," said Mitt Romney, president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the past two years. "Always take along your vegetable oil if you have to move snow."

With 12 months to go, Salt Lake City Games organizers have learned the devil is in the details. Organizers have accumulated extensive data about the elements.

But a singular cloud still might be the most challenging atmospheric hurdle for the 21st century's first Winter Olympics, also history's largest.

The Olympic bribery scandal, which centered on Salt Lake City's successful bid, remains a sticking point that refuses to slide into the background. Two former Salt Lake bid executives, indicted last summer for conspiracy and fraud, have yet to stand trial. Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, the bid chief and his deputy, respectively, continue to make headlines, with their federal case set for trial this summer.

Olympic officials can't control the wheels of justice. They keep the faith, however, that the scandal will not steal thunder from the good news.

Snags in preparations are manageable, according to SLOC officials. They said they expect to make ends meet financially. Ticket sales have been exceptionally brisk. And with most of the heavy lifting done, venue test events are serving mainly as fine-tuning devices.

The most pressing venue issue concerns the Delta Center, where the Four Continents competition is serving as the figure skating Olympic test event this week. Problems surfaced during the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, when skaters complained about the feeling of skating in a cavern. Spectators were too high and far away.

Grant Thomas, SLOC's senior vice president of venues, said the International Skating Union's permission to use large video boards will solve the problem of spectator sight lines. SLOC officials, however, continue to hear criticism of their call to stage the Winter Games' biggest draw in a basketball arena.

"We've responded by putting seats closer to the ice," Thomas said. "The venues are really in good shape. The bigger challenge is transportation, because there are a lot more variables."

Thomas, also the transportation overseer, said all venues are within a 55-minute drive from central Salt Lake City. He has mapped out a system of park-and-ride lots, free shuttles and thousands of buses. The Games will borrow equipment from all over; Dallas is chipping in with more than 20 light-rail vehicles.

Ticket sales soar

As SLOC heads down the stretch, international and U.S. Olympic officials gave an overall thumbs up to the preparations.

Key areas are thriving:

• Ticket sales have already eclipsed SLOC's wildest expectations. Requests for 769,701 tickets, representing 43,817 orders, translate to $76 million in U.S. sales. Including foreign orders, SLOC is close to $180 million in ticket sales. Popular events will be tough tickets.

• Construction is finished on the 10 permanent competition venues, though the Olympic speedskating oval required foundation repairs in December. The repoured concrete base should be ready for the World Single Distance Championships on March 9-11. Venues represent the largest single expense at $425 million.

• U.S. Olympic officials predicted the Salt Lake Games could produce the best-ever performance for Team USA at a Winter Olympics. The United States never has won more than 13 medals in a Winter Games.

• Salt Lake City Mayor Ross "Rocky" Anderson is taking an energetic role in ensuring no one will find his city a boring, one-dimensional outpost.

• Home cookin' should be a factor. The U.S. Ski Team, based in Park City, Utah, promises some great Olympic runs. Americans are enjoying a stunning season, including Californian Daron Rahlves' Jan. 30 Super-G title at the World Alpine Championships in Austria.

"Our chances for Olympic medals now are better than they've been since the Mahre brothers in the first part of the 1980s," said slalom skier Erik Schlopy of Park City, Utah – host area for one-third of the Olympic events. "And there's a lot of excitement for people in Salt Lake City in the fact they might have a hometown guy who is a medal threat."

The athletes, Romney said, will overshadow a scandal that concerned not them, but the Olympic bureaucracy.

The scandal forced changes that included a smaller Games budget. Romney said he is confident SLOC will break even. He revised the budget from $1.453 billion to $1.32 billion and reduced the shortfall in sponsorships from $379 million to $64 million. He cited the rapid pace of ticket sales, a record $800 million from U.S. corporations and a contingency fund of $136 million.

"Two years ago, I was worried about holding the Games in Salt Lake City, with a $379 million deficit," he said. "Now the question is whether we can have a truly great Winter Games."

Beset by scandal

In 1995, Salt Lake City landed the Games on the Utah capital's fifth try. Most of the state's 2.38 million residents live in the valley that will serve as the hub for 15 disciplines in seven sports. The 78 medal events will feature 10 new or revived competitions, including women's bobsled and skeleton – a headfirst, stomach-to-the-sled form of racing.

But in late 1998, revelations surfaced that resulted in grossly unflattering portraits of some International Olympic Committee members and the organization's entrenched tolerance of gift-giving. Ten IOC members resigned or were expelled as the vote-buying tally reached $1.2 million in improper payments or perks. In a reformation flurry, the IOC rewrote parts of its charter and instituted a new system for cities to bid for the Olympics.

"The bid scandal just took the wind out of everybody's sails," said Romney, a successful investment management executive in the Boston area when the scandal hit. "It was like getting kicked in the stomach. It made me sick. We dropped into the depths. We've actually come back."

IOC vice president Anita DeFrantz said Salt Lake City organizers have demonstrated resilience and competence. DeFrantz, a veteran IOC member from the United States, is among the candidates to replace president Juan Antonio Samaranch when his term expires in July.

"My general impression is that the Games are in good shape," DeFrantz said. "I think they're going to do fine. The greatest struggle they may have could be with housing if spectators don't go to Salt Lake City because they think there will be no housing."

Perceptions, she said, sometimes rule consumer decisions. DeFrantz cited the Sydney Summer Olympics last October, when some local merchants complained people stayed away because of predictions of overcrowding. Some accommodations were available during the Games, after all.

DeFrantz praised the Salt Lake City athletes' village, which will accommodate about 3,500 athletes and officials on the University of Utah campus.

She said she thinks the scandal will have run its course before the Opening Ceremonies at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Feb. 8.

Trials for Welch and Johnson were scheduled for June but could be delayed.

U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Mike Moran echoed DeFrantz's conviction that fascination with the scandal will have waned.

"How many times can you flog a dead horse?" Moran said. "I'm not privy to the government's case. I don't know how that will turn out.

"We're going to have our best-ever winter team. I don't think there will be any problems with drugs. The organizers are going to make their [budget] numbers. The Games are going to be spectacular."

His only lament was that the U.S. speedskaters did not get the chance to start training on the Olympic oval beginning last September, as was planned. Flaws in the base required the concrete to be repoured in December. Part of the 6,500-seat facility's suspension-cable roof buckled last spring. Some scheduled events were moved to other states.

"We don't see any problems out there, except that we wanted to get our speedskaters into that oval for a long period of time," Moran said. "As far as Games preparation, they can almost stage the Olympics today."

Image makeover

Mayor Anderson of Salt Lake Cityis making a good Games a personal crusade. He envisions a total overhaul of his city's image.

"We will provide enormous opportunities for activities and entertainment," said Anderson, an SLOC board member. "I know outside of our state, the city is seen as sort of one-dimensional and boring and a place of weird liquor laws. We have jazz clubs, rock 'n roll, gay and lesbian clubs."

He is working to relax laws to allow Olympic fans to buy beer in city parks. Anderson also is campaigning to permit vendors and artists to occupy some sidewalk space.

"I think our liquor laws are ridiculous and outmoded," Anderson said. "My experience in Sydney during the Olympics was that while going to the athletic events was interesting, the real memories were of the great times we had in the city and how we were treated by the people."

Anderson said Romney has done a fabulous job managing the once-staggering financial picture.

"It's going to be a win for everybody," Anderson said. "I think everybody's pretty bored with the scandal. ... With the trial, I think everybody will be convinced that the truth has come out. My prediction is that there won't be a conviction in the case. The Justice Department took far too long."

Thomas, SLOC's venue guru, said he is more conscious of the ticking clock these days.

"We're pleased with our progress," he said, "but we're not resting."

FIVE POTENTIAL SNAGS

Let it snow

The Snowbasin Ski Area has 265,000 feet of piping as part of its snow-making system for the downhill. But minerals in the water used for the manmade stuff add a brownish tint. Nobody wants the prestigious Alpine events raced on anything resembling a mudslide.

Rye observations

The Mormon Church forbids its 11 million members from drinking alcohol, and more than 70 percent of Utah's 2.38 million residents are Mormons. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is working to change restrictive liquor laws that have alarmed some of the Europeans, accustomed to wine with meals. Imbibers can buy memberships in private clubs for $5.

Figure aches

Figure skaters gave the Delta Center a thumbs-down at the 1999 U.S. Championships, and the SLOC has not done much to improve the venue. The skaters say they feel as if they are skating in a pit, and spectators are too far from the ice and unable to see all parts. An unhappy International Skating Union can go a long way in making for a rocky Games.

Coyote controversy

Copper, the Olympic coyote mascot, has provided a rallying call for Salt Lake City-area environmental groups. The activists have called attention to Utah's controversial coyote boycott bounty program – $20 for a pair of ears – and characterized it as a "butchering" of the animal.

Scandal in the family

Never has the Olympic movement received such a black eye as when revelations surfaced that the Salt Lake City Games bid included improper inducements to IOC members. SLOC's top two officials face federal charges and the process could still be unfolding at torch-lighting time.

FIVE PREPARATION SUCCESSES

Bright budget outlook

With sponsors running scared because of the bribery scandal, SLOC president Mitt Romney came in, revised the budget from $1.453 billion to $1.32 billion and cut the deficit from $379 million to $64 million. SLOC has raised more than $800 million from sponsors.

Brilliant U.S. medals outlook

According to U.S. Olympic officials' projections, the home team could rack up 10 medals in skiing alone, to judge by U.S. Alpine performances on the World Cup circuit and at the World Championships. The United States never has won more than 13 medals overall at a Winter Olympics.

Brisk ticket sales

More than 70 of the 165 event sessions are sold out. SLOC has received requests for 769,701 of the 793,000 tickets set aside for U.S. buyers. That's out of a total 1.6 million tickets available. SLOC is close to $180 million in ticket sales. Ticket prices run from $25 at cross country to $885 for the Opening Ceremonies.

Building boom

Construction has been completed on the 10 permanent competition venues. Test events have worked out the bugs in most cases. The Olympic speedskating oval had two construction delays but should be ready for the World Single Distance Championships on March 9-11. It could be the world's fastest.

No shortage of volunteers

Despite budget cutbacks that scaled down uniforms and food service, Salt Lake organizers received about 47,000 applications from people interested in serving as volunteers in the largest-ever Winter Games. Salt Lake City will have 78 events – 10 more than the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

NEW, REVIVED OR CHANGED EVENTS

Skeleton

The headfirst form of sliding, invented in St. Moritz, Switzerland, last appeared in the Olympics in 1948. The object is to steer the sled down an ice track as fast as possible. Events for men and women will be on the Salt Lake program.

Women's bobsled

Men have competed in bobsled since it was among the original Olympic Winter Games sports in 1924. The United States has a strong women's contingent, headed by Jean Racine and Jennifer Davidson.

Men's and women's 1,500-meter short-track speedskating

Short-track made its Olympic debut in 1992. The men and women have raced 500 and 1,000 meters and in a relay. The new middle-distance event will feature a pack-style racing format.

Five Nordic events

Men's and women's 1,500-meter cross country ski races.

Men's Nordic combined sprint, consisting of a ski jump from a 120-meter hill and a 7.5-kilometer ski race.

Biathlon pursuit for men and women, consisting of a race against the clock and a race in which skiers race against each other. The leader from the first race starts first and the others follow according to how far behind they were in the first race. At Salt Lake City, the Olympic pursuits will be one-day events and the length of the second courses will be shorter. Biathlon combines cross country skiing and shooting at targets.

PERMANENT COMPETITION VENUES

The Ice Sheet at Ogden (curling)

Salt Lake Ice Center (figure skating, short-track speedskating)

Soldier Hollow (biathlon, cross country skiing, Nordic combined)

Utah Olympic Park (bobsled, luge, skeleton, ski jumping, Nordic combined)

E Center (ice hockey)

The Peaks Ice Arena (ice hockey)

Utah Olympic Oval (speedskating)

Deer Valley Resort (Alpine and freestyle skiing)

Park City Mountain Resort (Alpine skiing and snowboarding)

Snowbasin Ski Area (Alpine skiing)