See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics

Now that the future is in sight, let’s look at the past.

Salt Lake City will once again play host to the world by hosing the 2034 Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced after an election in Paris on Wednesday. Olympic officials praised the state and its existing Olympic infrastructure as “a role model for the IOC” during a visit in April.

Turning back the clock, Salt Lake Tribune photographers spent countless hours over the winter of 2002 documenting the first time that Utah became center stage. From the Olympic torch relay through national parks, to soaring vistas and ski jumpers flying over Summit County, scroll through the best images of the Games.

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Devan Lomayaoma, right, of Polacca, Ariz., lights the torch of Anne Wheelock Gonzales, of Santa Fe, N.M., as they stand under the North Window at Arches National Park, Monday, Feb. 4, 2002. (steve griffin/)
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Performers dressed as pioneers skate during the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Friday, Feb. 8, 2002. (Leah Hogsten/)
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Skiers take the first hill off the starting line in a mass start in the cross-country skiing men’s 30km freestyle during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Soldier Hollow, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002. (Al Hartmann/)
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Photographers positioned under the in-run during the ski jumping K120 team competition of the 2002 Winter Olympics Monday, Feb. 18, 2002 at Utah Olympic Park. (Trent Nelson/)
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ukraine's Dmitri Dmitrenko performs during the men's free skate Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002, at the Salt Lake Ice Center during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. (Leah Hogsten/)
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers install Olympic and Paralympic murals in downtown Salt Lake City Jan. 23, 2002.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Switzerland’s Sylvain Freiholz makes a jump during the qualification round of the men’s K120 ski jump Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2002, at Utah Olympic Park during the 2002 Winter Olympics. (Trent Nelson/)
(Paul Fraughton | The Salt Lake Tribune) Joe Pack of the United States is hugged by his family and friends after his silver medal performance in the men’s aerials during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Deer Valley Resort, Feb. 19, 2002. (paul fraughton/)
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) The nordic combined men’s individual 15km is underway at Soldier Hollow during the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2002. (Al Hartmann/)
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) United States’ Todd Lodwick flies over the Olympic rings in the final round of the nordic combined men’s individual K90 ski jump during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Utah Olympic Park, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002. (Trent Nelson/)
(Paul Fraughton | The Salt Lake Tribune) The stage ice is covered with colored sand under black light during the closing ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2002. (paul fraughton/)

function onSignUp() { const token = grecaptcha.getResponse(); if (!token) { alert("Please verify the reCAPTCHA!"); } else { axios .post( "https://8c0ug47jei.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/newsletter/checkCaptcha", { token, env: "PROD", } ) .then(({ data: { message } }) => { console.log(message); if (message === "Human

See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics

See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics

See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics

See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics

See the best Tribune photographs of the 2002 Winter Olympics