2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City

2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics - Part 1

The Hoopes family packed up the van and headed out to Salt Lake City on Thursday night, February 14, 2002. Eleven and half hours later, we arrived at the Ash house in Midway Utah, ready to sleep. Temperatures were a brisk 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Friday night we attended the "Celebration of Light" pageant at the Salt Lake Conference Center.

Saturday we attended the NuSkin Ice Festival in Provo.

Monday we Snowboarded at Brighton and then ate dinner with the Defrasne family and several members of the French biathlon and biathlon relay team. Syd & Scott Ash hosted Vincent Defrasne's parents while he competed in four biathlon events (Where he took a bronze medal in the 7.5K biathlon relay) at Soldier Hollow. Soldier Hollow is a 2002 Olympic venue for many of the Nordic events. Click on the link above to learn more about this French athlete.

Tuesday we went to Olympic Park in Salt Lake City and for Mena, we listed to a few songs performed by Creed outside the medals ceremony.

Wednesday - It snowed all day, Vincent Defrasne won bronze medal in 7.5K Biathlon Relay - We went to medals ceremony and then to the party at the French house for all French Athletes.

Thursday - We went to Park City

Friday-We celebrated Aiden and Maxs' birthday by going to the Mayan Restaurant near Salt Lake City.

Saturday - Richard and I went to the Men's Slalom at Deer Valley and watched the USA get trounced by France. I was very impressed by Bode Miller's sportmanship. He missed two gates, and hiked each time to finish the race 10 seconds behind the leader, instead of sulking at the sidelines, pounding his poles--like so many other skiers I've seen.

Mena & Hillary @ Temple Square	Hall, Defrasne, Ash, Hoopes @ Temple Square
Hall, Defrasne, Ash, Hoopes @ Temple Square	Provo Ice Festival / Ice Sculptures
Provo Ice Festival / Ice Sculptures	Provo Ice Festival / Ice Sculptures
Provo Ice Festival / Ice Sculptures	Snowboarding @ Brighton
Snowboarding @ Brighton	Dinner with bronze medalist Vincent Defrasne and Raphael Poiree, Silver Medalist in the 12.5K biathlon
Lindsey is greeted by Vincent and Raphael.	Ashes & Defrasnes
Ashes & Defrasnes	Lindsey trying out the Climbing wall at a mall near Olympic Park
Aiden tries out the wall	Aiden gets the highest of all the kids
Stone on the wall	Stone does the wall
Ready to go into Olympic Park in SLC	Waiting in yet another line (This one was to get into the Coca Cola tent where we competed in the bobsled push)
On Temple Square	The Hoopes Family on Temple Square

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Last Updated 26-Feb-2002