The city where the Olympics are never really "over"
The Perfect Place for Olympics Fanatics
The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics are nearly over … you laughed, you cried, you were outraged, you felt inspired and now you feel like the next Olympics are just too far away (2026 - Winter, 2028 - Summer). How are you supposed to navigate the same old annual sports calendar for the next 2 years without any jolt of Olympic inspiration? The remedy for your heartache is a trip to Olympic City USA.
For Colorado Springs, the Olympics are never really “over” as its home to the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee Headquarters, over 20 National governing bodies (i.e. USA Swimming, USA Hockey, USA Wrestling), and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum (opened in 2020). Of all the 5-ringed attractions though, my personal favorite is the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center where nearly 15,000 athletes pass through annually to train for their respective sports1.
Since the ENT Air Force base converted to the Olympic Training Center in 19782, the site has attracted elite athletes for its extensive facilities which includes a dormitory (converted military barracks), cafeteria, physical therapy areas, and teaching kitchen3. In addition to the support facilities, there is a full suite of training facilities including a pool, basketball courts, wrestling area, shooting range, and that’s just scratching the surface. While only 80-100 athletes are full-time residents, different sporting governing bodies will invite athletes from across the country for brief training periods leading up to Olympic qualifying events.
Recently on July 5th, 2024, I visited the Olympic Training Center with my son. After our 4th of July festivities, we were feeling extra patriotic (and sunburned) and excited for the 2024 Paris Olympics to start in just a few weeks. The guided tour through the facility was certainly a highlight for us as we heard stories about Olympic heroes passing through the grounds like swimmer Michael Phelps and speedskater Apolo Ohno4.
As we toured around, we felt like we were getting a glimpse at the Olympic stars of the future and some tour groups even have a resident athlete as a tour guide (that was my experience on a previous tour in 2012). During our tour through the rifle and pistol training range, one of the athletes stopped and invited our group into the range to teach us about the intricacies of his craft. Throughout the tour, I found myself looking for some secret sauce to explain why this site had been a training ground for so many Olympic legends that would later be honored just a few miles away in the Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Other than the ~6,000 ft of altitude which forces the athletes’ bodies to create more red blood cells storing oxygen, there really isn’t anything remarkable about the training area by itself (I mean there’s really no secret training for wrestling or swimming). Ultimately, the place is really not much different than an NCAA Division 1 athletic facility. I was left with the conclusion that this place is really special because of the ultra-high level of competition represented here. Only the top 0.01% athletes in their field are ever invited to this place, and upon arrival they MUST be remarkable to earn a position to represent the USA in the next Olympic games.
At the end of the tour, we were reminded that the Olympic governing bodies and teams are all non-profits, and our tour fees would help fund the Olympic teams themselves. We browsed through the gift shop and then saw a display where visitors could write a letter to be mailed across the world to the Olympic Village in Paris. I expect they’ll have a similar display leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The display was a simple reminder that while the Olympic games move from one nation to the next, the Olympic spirit never really leaves here.
Thanks for reading and go catch a game,
Zach
Source: Olympic City USA Facts
ENT Air Force Base history. Source: Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Side note: The purpose here is to teach athletes how to cook healthy meals for themselves since most athletes only visit the Olympic Training Center for a short training period and then return home.
We also heard a rumor about a Ryan Lochte Superfan jumping into the pool to chase him in the middle of a training session (Unconfirmed)