PARK CITY, Utah — Many Olympic fans know the feeling of cheering on Team USA — especially those gathered at Canyons Village on Saturday for a watch party.
“We haven’t gotten as many medals as Norway, but hopefully we’ll end up with more,” said George Atrio from Miami. "It’s great, especially when you find out some of the contestants are from Utah.”
Most people don’t know the feeling of winning a gold, but Summer Sanders does.
“I was an Olympic swimmer. I swam in 1992 in Barcelona,” Sanders said. "I brought home two golds, a silver and a bronze. I was 19 at the time.”
After having her gold medal moment, she looks forward to cheering on others every Olympics.
“Watching these Games right now specifically remind me of winning my first medal, which was a bronze,” Sanders said. " It's the first time I've ever held a medal.”
Sanders settled down in Park City, and as an ambassador for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, she’s gearing up for the 2034 Olympics in her own backyard.
“After L.A. 2028, we get the next domestic Olympic games here in the U.S.,” she said. "There's a clock running, and we get to watch what Milan did great, and what we might want to copy and bring over here, and what we think we need to improve upon.”
In the meantime, there are some things the city should consider.
“Transportation: How do we how do we button that up? How do we make it better?” Sanders said. " Locals are looking for that anyway. Help us find a solution that's sustainable, right, that will stick around when the games are gone.”
With the lack of snow this year, there’s not much to do but pray.
“I think the fact that we got a lack of snow out of the way, the odds are, in eight years, we're going to have an absolutely perfect winter,” Sanders said.
At the end of the day, Sanders said there’s something special about having the Games here.
“We have an intense pride, because we have rich history, and we believe in what the Olympics does,” Sanders said.
And Olympic fans are ready to bring that spirit.
“It’s about Patriotism, right? It’s about America going and doing the best they can,” said Ben Stevens, who was at the watch party while visiting from Georgia.
“The world can come together and share a very good common which is competition, peace and love,” Atrio said.
“I have no tattoo of the Olympic rings on my body, but it's on my heart,” Sanders said.
