2002 Olympics gallery: Opening Ceremony to 'Light the Fire Within'

Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo
Global luminaries John Glenn, Desmond Tutu, Cathy Freeman, Kazuyoshi Funaki, Lech Walesa, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jean-Claude Killy and Steven Spielberg carry the Olympic flag into Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo
Costumed skaters perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Tribune file photo
Members of the four Native American tribes in Utah perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Tribune file photo
Members of the four Native American tribes in Utah enter Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Rick Egan | Tribune file photo
American athletes celebrate as they march into Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Tribune file photo
Fireworks explode above the Olympic cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Tribune file photo
American athletes march into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the Opening Ceremony.

Rick Egan | Tribune file photo
Figure skaters Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming carry the torch as it enters Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Tribune file photo
Mitt Romney, the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, chats with IOC President Jacques Rogge at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Rick Egan | Tribune file photo
Sting and cellist Yo Yo Ma perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Tribune file photo
A skater carries a Salt Lake flag across the ice during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Steve Griffin | Tribune file photo
A child with a lantern leads global luminaries John Glenn, Desmond Tutu, Cathy Freeman, Kazuyoshi Funaki, Lech Walesa, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jean-Claude Killy and Steven Spielberg into Rice-Eccles Stadium while carrying the Olympic flag during the Opening Ceremony.

Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo
Athletes crane to see and take photos of skier Picabo Street and hockey player Cammi Granato as they carry the torch toward the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo
Fireworks explode above the Olympic cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

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Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo Global luminaries John Glenn, Desmond Tutu, Cathy Freeman, Kazuyoshi Funaki, Lech Walesa, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jean-Claude Killy and Steven Spielberg carry the Olympic flag into Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo Costumed skaters perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo Costumed skaters perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tribune file photo Members of the four Native American tribes in Utah perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tribune file photo Members of the four Native American tribes in Utah enter Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. Rick Egan | Tribune file photo American athletes celebrate as they march into Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. Tribune file photo Fireworks explode above the Olympic cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tribune file photo American athletes march into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. Rick Egan | Tribune file photo Figure skaters Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming carry the torch as it enters Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. Tribune file photo Mitt Romney, the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, chats with IOC President Jacques Rogge at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rick Egan | Tribune file photo Sting and cellist Yo Yo Ma perform during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tribune file photo A skater carries a Salt Lake flag across the ice during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Steve Griffin | Tribune file photo A child with a lantern leads global luminaries John Glenn, Desmond Tutu, Cathy Freeman, Kazuyoshi Funaki, Lech Walesa, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jean-Claude Killy and Steven Spielberg into Rice-Eccles Stadium while carrying the Olympic flag during the Opening Ceremony. Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo Athletes crane to see and take photos of skier Picabo Street and hockey player Cammi Granato as they carry the torch toward the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo Fireworks explode above the Olympic cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· February 8, 2012 11:32 am

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Tribune relives the heady days of the 2002 Winters Olympics in pictures — with a daily gallery from the torch relay to the Opening Ceremony, from Team USA's medal haul to the fireworks-filled finale.

Feb. 8 • Just months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, patriotism emerges as the theme for the star-studded Opening Ceremony, with athletes entering Rice-Eccles Stadium carrying an American flag from the fallen World Trade Center. Members of the gold-medal winning 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team light the cauldron, while President George Bush watches and luminaries such as Desmond Tutu, John Glenn and Lech Walesa carry the Olympic flag. The Olympic motto? "Light the Fire Within."