Looking back at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, American athletes demonstrated what it means to strive for excellence on the world stage. Nathan Chen delivered a gold-medal performance in men’s figure skating, while Chloe Kim repeated as champion in women’s snowboard halfpipe.  

Lindsey Jacobellis, after years of perseverance, won gold in women’s snowboardcross and later teamed with Nick Baumgartner to win the mixed team event. Kaillie Humphries captured gold in the inaugural women’s monobob competition, Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in speed skating, and Alex Hall took top honors in men’s slopestyle freestyle skiing.  

The mixed team aerials trio of Ashley Caldwell, Chris Lillis, and Justin Schoenefeld soared to victory, and the U.S. figure skating team, led by Chen, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, and others, earned gold as well. These triumphs reflected not only individual achievement but also the foundation of excellence that sustains American sport. 

The seeds of these successes can be traced back to Utah and the legacy of the 2002 Winter Games. Those Games concluded more than two decades ago, yet their influence has remained strong. The venues constructed for the Olympics were preserved through a $74 million endowment, ensuring they would remain active and relevant long after the Closing Ceremony.  

Today, the Utah Olympic Park, the Utah Olympic Oval, and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center host recreational leagues, lessons, tours, and youth programs while also serving as training centers for elite athletes. This commitment to preservation and growth embodies the Olympic value of excellence, defined as striving to be one’s best and encouraging others to do the same. 

The intent behind this legacy was clearly articulated. Senator Mitt Romney, who led the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, reflected at the fifteenth anniversary of the Games that Utah had hoped to become the center of winter sport in North America. The vision was for the venues to remain active, to attract athletes from across the United States, and to elevate American performance on the world stage. This was excellence understood not as a single moment of achievement, but as a sustained commitment to nurturing future possibility. 

The results have been striking. At Beijing 2022, one third of Team USA’s 223 athletes had ties to Utah, whether by growing up here, attending school, or training in the state. Utah produced more Olympic athletes than any other state, a direct outcome of both the inspiration of the 2002 Games and the availability of world-class training facilities. Many of these athletes had once been children watching in awe as Olympic competition unfolded in their own communities. Two decades later, they stood at the start line themselves, carrying forward the spirit of excellence that Utah helped instill. 

Excellence has extended beyond winter sport to reshape Utah’s broader identity. Communities across the state drew confidence from the Games, discovering that large-scale events could thrive in Utah. St. George, for example, emerged as a hub for endurance sports, hosting the Ironman World Championships and other global competitions. These opportunities arose in part because Utah had proven its ability to host the 2002 Games with success and professionalism. In this way, the pursuit of excellence radiated outward, shaping both sport and community life. 

Utah’s Olympic venues continue to cultivate excellence daily. The Utah Olympic Oval, still known as the “Fastest Ice on Earth,” has hosted more than 100 world records and provides training opportunities for skaters at every level. Soldier Hollow introduces thousands of students to skiing each winter, instilling lessons of persistence and resilience. At the Utah Olympic Park, aerialists and ski jumpers train with courage and precision, pushing themselves to achieve what once felt impossible. Tens of thousands of youth participate annually in UOLF programs, discovering that excellence is not confined to the podium but is developed through progress, persistence, and the pursuit of personal bests. 

Excellence, then, is more than medals or world records. It is a culture embedded in facilities, communities, and shared values. It is a commitment to push past limits, to pursue growth, and to encourage others to do the same. The legacy of the 2002 Games shows that when excellence is deliberately cultivated, it endures across generations. 

As the world turns its attention to Milano-Cortina in 2026, Utah’s role in fostering Olympic excellence remains clear. Access to these world-class venues will continue to produce more athletes with Utah roots, and with them, more American champions on the global stage. Excellence in Utah has already shaped the past, and it will continue to shape the future of sport.