Nearly a quarter century after the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Utah, venues are thriving and kids are engaging in sport. At the helm of that successful legacy initiative is Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation President and CEO Colin Hilton, who joined us on Last Chair from the High West Whiskey Library outside of Park City. A native of New York State, Hilton hitched onto a venue management role at the 1996 Atlanta Games, then headed to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Games. Today, he oversees the 2002 legacy venues and plays a key role in managing all of the planned competition sites for the Utah 2034 Winter Games.
Utah’s approach is unique among Olympic regions worldwide. In a plan dating back to the late 1980s, Utah platted out its legacy plan – building venues not just for the Games but for community use.
Today, those community venues are four times as busy as they were in 2002!
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Looking ahead to 2034, Utah features a blend of public-managed venues like the Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval, and Soldier Hollow. Add to that ski areas like Snowbasin, Deer Valley, and Park City Resort, along with commercial venues like Maverik Arena and the Delta Center. And they’re all within an hours drive from the Athlete Village at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
In this episode of Last Chair, Hilton speaks to the uniqueness of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, its impact on kids and communities, and the opportunity Utah has in 2034. 
Let’s head to the High West Whiskey Library for a fascinating conversation with Colin Hlton.
“If you've seen images on the internet of Olympic venues around the world, unfortunately, most of them are showing how these big, expensive facilities aren't being used enough. And so we purposely said these facilities shouldn't just be elite athlete facilities, they should be community recreation centers just as much, especially with a focus on Utah's youth. We're about four times busier today in use of these facilities than right after the ‘02 Games. Nobody in the world can state a number like that!” - Colin Hilton
LAST CHAIR GUEST
Colin Hilton
Colin Hilton is president and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, where he oversees the operation and long-term stewardship of Utah’s Olympic venues, including the Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval, and Soldier Hollow. Appointed in 2006, Hilton has led major facility expansions, athlete-development programs, and year-round public recreation initiatives that advance Utah’s standing as an international winter-sports hub. A native of New York State, he served as a venue manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Then he moved to Utah where he oversaw the Park City venues for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. As an extension of his role with the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Hilton is coordinating all venues across the state for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
