The 2002 Winter Olympics
The Athletes and Coaches

NPR News looks at the athletes and coaches involved in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Peja Lindholm shouts to Swedish curling teammates.
Photo copyright 2002 Reuters Limited

The U.K.'s Golden Curlers
Four Scottish housewives won Britain's first gold medal in the Winter Olympics since pairs figure skaters Torvill and Dean in 1984. Morning Edition's Lynn Neary talks with T.R. Reid, the Washington Post's London bureau chief about Britain's curling craze.

American Hughes Skates to Gold Over Kwan
American Sarah Hughes tops favorite Michelle Kwan and Russian Irina Slutskaya to win the women's figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Slutskaya wins the silver medal; Kwan takes the bronze. Howard Berkes reports for NPR News.

1968 Protest Remembered
John Carlos was one of the two African Americans runners who stood with a clenched fist raised high at the medal podium at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. On the Tavis Smiley Show, Carlos says he doesn't regret his civil rights protest and hopes that today's athletes will become more involved in issues of social justice.

Adopting the Jamaican Bobsled Team
An unlikely relationship developed between the Jamaican bobsledders competing at the Winter Olympics and a rural town in Wyoming. Renny McKay reports for All Things Considered.

Former Rollers Give Speed Skating a New Look
The once solidly northern sport of speed skating has headed south as in-line skaters take to the ice. The transition has brought ethnic diversity to the U.S. Olympic squad in Salt Lake City. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for Morning Edition.

Kenyan Distance Runners Shift to Snow
Even though snow is scarce in their country, some Kenyan distance runners are following their Olympic dreams as cross-country skiers. NPR's Howard Berkes reports for All Things Considered.

U.S. Men Sweep Halfpipe Snowboarding
American men sweep the halfpipe snowboarding event at the Winter Olympics, bringing gold, silver and bronze home to the nation where the sport began. NPR's Howard Berkes reports for All Things Considered.

Snowboarder Rides 'The Zone' to a Gold Medal
Even though she had rock music blaring on her headphones, Kelly Clark could hear the crowd cheering. Both sounds helped put the American into a "zone" and lifted her to a gold medal in the women's halfpipe snowboard competition. NPR's Tom Goldman reports for Morning Edition.

From Roller Skates to Speed Skates
Shani Davis traded in his roller skates for ice skates when he was six years old. In a Tavis Smiley Show interview, Davis discusses why he took up the sport and what it's like to be one of the few black athletes at the Winter Olympics.

Record Breakers Launch Olympic Games
By Day Two of competition at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, there were already spills, tears and upsets. Ten countries won medals and a world record was twice broken. The U.S. Olympic team delivered on its promised fast start, winning a pair of silver medals, in women's moguls and speed skating. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for Weekend Edition Sunday.

Olympic Mind Games
As the 2002 Winter Olympics get under way in Salt Lake City, athletes hoping to win a medal say they must do two things: be confident and convince themselves that the games are "just another competition." NPR's Tom Goldman reports for Morning Edition.

In Search of the Perfect Ski Wax
In downhill and cross country ski races, where every tenth of a second counts, the wax on the bottom of the ski can mean the difference between winning and struggling. Wax technicians have been monitoring the snow in the mountains near Salt Lake City for the last three years in search of the perfect wax. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for All Things Considered.

Venezuelan Luger's Olympic Dream
At 40, this is Iginia Valentina Boccalandro's last shot at the Olympics. Though the Venezuelan luge team captain is broke, she's not giving up her dream of a gold medal. Jenny Brundin reports for Weekend All Things Considered.

Intensity on the Ice
Curlers endure lots of ribbing about their sport. But members of the U.S. men's Olympic curling team don't find it a laughing matter. They're fiercely competitive, and want to win so badly they sometimes squabble bitterly on the ice. Euan Kerr reports for All Things Considered.

Olympian Jack Shea is Remembered
Morning Edition remembers 91-year-old former Olympian Jack Shea. The 1932 speed skating gold medalist was killed in a car crash, just three weeks before his grandson is to compete in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Brian Mann reports.

Olympic Hopefuls Sue for Spots on U.S. Team
Two Olympic hopefuls are going to court in separate cases to win spots on the U.S. Olympic team. NPR's Tom Goldman reports on Morning Edition.

Mogul skier Jeremy Bloom. Photo: EGO Sports Management

The Mountain or the Gridiron?
Jeremy Bloom, 19, got a full scholarship to play for one of the best teams in college football. But he's also one of the best mogul skiers in the world. So for now, he's given up football to train for the Olympics, where he's considered a good prospect for a mogul skiing medal. From Salt Lake City, NPR's Howard Berkes reports on an athlete torn between his two sports loves.


Who'll Cut the Figures on Olympic Ice?
On Morning Edition, host Bob Edwards talks with USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan about the recent Grand Prix Figure Skating Finals -- a proving ground for the stars to watch in the Olympics.

Terror Attacks Cast a Shadow
Since Sept. 11, Olympic athletes admit to being skittish about traveling because of concerns about terrorism. But as NPR's Howard Berkes reports, athletes say they are determined to compete at Salt Lake despite concerns.