2002 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics took place at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, on 8 February 2002.
The Olympic Cauldron | |
| Date | 8 February 2002 |
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| Time | 19:00 – 21:47 MST (UTC−07:00) |
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′36″N 111°50′56″W |
| Filmed by | International Sports Broadcasting (ISB) |
| Footage | The ceremony on the IOC YouTube channel on YouTube |
| Part of a series on |
| 2002 Winter Olympics |
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U.S. president George W. Bush opened the Winter Olympics — the first U.S. president to do so — which took place five months after the September 11 attacks, with: On behalf of a proud, determined and grateful nation..., then the standard opening formula followed. The president was standing among the U.S. athletes, while previous heads of state opened the Games from an official box. NBC's Bob Costas applauded the move during the network's coverage of the Opening Ceremony.
The opening ceremony was produced and directed by Don Mischer. The production team included Kenny Ortega as the artistic director, Mark Watters as the musical director, and David Goldberg as a producer. The opening ceremony was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Music Or Comedy Special.