The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics took place at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 8 February 2002. U.S. President George W. Bush opened the 2002 Winter Olympics, which took place five months after the September 11 attacks, with: On behalf of a proud, determined and grateful nation..., then the standard opening formula followed.
The ceremony
Prior to the ceremony, the turf inside the stadium was removed and a giant, abstract-shaped ice rink, designed by Seven Nielsen, was installed covering a large part of the stadium floor. Music was directed by Mark Watters. Figure skaters, speed skaters, and hockey players performed on the ice, while cloggers, dancers, and some of the local Native American tribes performed on the surrounding platform. An American flag rescued from the World Trade Center Site on September 11 was carried into the stadium by an honor guard of American athletes and was carried in by firefighters and police officers of the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority Police. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, clad in white sweaters, performed The Star Spangled Banner, the US national anthem, as the flag was raised. The parade of the 2,300 athletes was led by the Child of Light and began traditionally with Greece and ending with the host nation, the United States of America. As the artistic section kicked off, the five native Utah Native American tribes arrived together on horseback and performed several traditional "Welcome" stomp dances. The Dixie Chicks also performed. The beauty of the Utah landscape was showcased as huge puppets of native Utah animals, including a 15-foot-long bison and the American bald eagle, entered the stadium, as well as dancing pioneer settlers as two trains came together on, symbolizing the US railroad industry which was beneficial to Utah's economy beginning in the 1860s, as well as economically linking the Western U.S. and the Eastern U.S. At the end of this segment, the performers unfurled a giant quilt that covered the entire stadium floor with the 2002 Winter Olympics logo in the center. Two figure skaters, Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi, Jozef Sabovcik, and Scott Hamilton performed on the oversized ice rink as "Light the Fire Within," the 2002 Winter Olympic's theme song, was sung by LeAnn Rimes. Jozef's son, Blade, also performed in the ceremonies as one of the skating children of light. Other notable skaters included a young local skater and Beatrisa Liang as younger versions of Kristi Yamaguchi's character. The ceremonies were choreographed and rehearsals led by Sarah Kawahara. Sarah won an Emmy for her work in both the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games. Performers were auditioned and put in over 150 hours of practice on the weekends leading up to the Games. Practices were held at both Steiner Ice Arena and on the official venue ice. The main child of light was played by Ryne Sanborn, a young local hockey player who was in the seventh grade at the time of the ceremonies. After speeches by Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC and Mitt Romney, the CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, the Olympic flame, which had traveled was carried into the stadium by gold medalists Dorothy Hamill and Dick Button. They passed it to other pairs U.S. Olympians, who either ran or skated their short relay. Gold medalists in Nagano 1998 Picabo Street and Cammi Granato carried it up the steps to the towering torch where they were met by Mike Eruzione, captain of the "Miracle on Ice" hockey team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1980. Eruzione summoned the other members of the team, who together lit the Olympic torch. The Opening Ceremony would win seven Emmy Awards. The President opened the Games standing among the athletes, while previous heads of state opened the Games from an official box. NBC's Bob Costas applauded the move during the network's coverage of the Opening Ceremony. The official box was occupied by the President's Olympic delegation, which featured four future members of their respective sport's Hall of Fame:
The opening ceremonies included Grammy Award-winning artist LeAnn Rimes singing "Light the Fire Within," the official song of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Michael Kamen and Brian May composed a ten-minute orchestral piece, "The Fire Within", with Kamen conducting and May featured on guitar.
John Williams composed a five-minute work for orchestra and chorus, "Call of the Champions", that served as the official theme of the 2002 Winter Olympics, his first for a Winter Olympiad. It was performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Madeleine Choir School singing the official motto of the Olympic Games "Citius, Altius, Fortius". The premiere of the work at the opening ceremonies also corresponded with John Williams's 70th birthday. The work is featured on the CD American Journey, and also on the Choir's recording Spirit of America.
