page_title: Utah Olympic Park Track
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Utah Olympic Park Track / History
caption_attribution_description: A curve of the Utah Olympic Park's luge, bobsled, and skeleton track. Taken during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
context_page_description: The Utah Olympic Park Track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in the United States, located in the Utah Olympic Park near Park City, Utah. During the 2002 Winter Olympics in nearby Salt Lake City, the track hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events. Today the track still serves as a training center for Olympic and development level athletes, and hosts numerous local and international competitions. It is one of two tracks in the nation, the other is at Mt. Van Hoevenberg near Lake Placid, New York.
context_section_description: In 1989, Utah's voters passed the Olympic referendum, which allowed for 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.
  The following year, on June 15, 1991, Salt Lake City lost its 1998 Winter Olympics bid by four votes to Nagano, Japan. 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. The track was designed by German luge coach Josef Lenz.
  A ceremony on June 3, 1994, signaled the start of construction on the bobsled/luge track. 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. 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. 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.
caption: The track as seen during the 2002 Winter Olympics
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