Final torchbearer remains a secret

The Deseret News ^ | 1/28/2002 | Lisa Riley Roche

[Utah Girl]

      PARK CITY — Only five people know who will light the Olympic caldron in Rice-Eccles Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games, Mitt Romney said Monday.
      Besides the Salt Lake Organizing Committee president, the others who know are SLOC's chief operating officer, Fraser Bullock; creative director Scott Givens; ceremonies producer Don Mischer and the head of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol.
      "It's our hope we'll be able to keep the torchbearers who will bring the torch into the stadium confidential," Romney said during a breakfast meeting with reporters hosted by "Around the Rings," an electronically published Olympic newsletter.
      Thanks to a slip made during NBC's broadcast of the Golden Globe awards earlier this month, organizers already have had to reveal the names of the performers who'll appear in the Feb. 8 show.
      The identity of the final torchbearer is one of few secrets they have left. Several people are expected to carry the torch once it arrives at the stadium before it is passed to the final torchbearer or torchbearers.
      Speculation has centered on the American and Soviet men's hockey teams who competed in the so-called "Miracle on Ice" match during the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, N. Y. Members of the American team are getting together shortly before the Salt Lake Games for an exhibition event in Los Angeles.
      Romney said organizers ran into some weather-related problems during Saturday's opening ceremonies rehearsal. Winds gusted at some points to 22 mph, he said, forcing some cast members to take off their elaborate costumes.
      Some of the costumes are 20 feet high, Romney said, making them very difficult to wear in high winds. But he said come Games time, the performers would struggle to stay in the costumes unless wind speeds reached, say, 40 mph.
      "I'm told by people in the industry the show must go on," he told the dozen reporters gathered at the Park City media center.
      Still, he said, weather could cause changes to be made in the program. "There probably comes a point at which safety is involved."
      Romney said the production team has several contingency plans in place to deal with everything from winds to a blizzard.
      Weather is increasingly a concern for organizers, and Monday's snowstorm, which slowed traffic in the Park City area to a crawl, didn't help. After months of saying weather was one area he had no control over, Romney said now he "can't keep it out of my mind."

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[willieroe]

Allegedly, Karl Malone and John Stockton are to take part in some aspect of the Olympic ceremonies. I heard that both smiled and refused further comment when asked.

[willieroe]

It would be "hard to believe" that Clinton's nose could get any redder...

[mathurine]

the horse ridden in on would be my choice

[Utah Girl]

You missed all the excitement here when Karl Malone asked why he wasn't going to be the torchbearer inside Olympics stadium. He didn't "want to carry the torch in some desert somewhere." It really kicked up some nasty publicity for him. Stockton, as usual, kept his head down and his mouth shut. I would be extremely surprised if Malone lit the cauldron. Of course, it could always be a Malone to Stockton assist...

[KateUTWS]

Where?

[Utah Girl]

Will's Pit Stop...

[sneakypete]

Buh-Bette! and Chelsea.

[xp38]

This is probably nit picking but Basketball is part of the summer games not the winter ones. The US has many great winter games champions and I assume it will be one of them to light the Olympic flame.

[Revolting cat!]

Specific predictions are useless. Here's my accurate general prediction:

It'll be a victim!

Take your pick: a youngster dying of AIDS, the old lady who got her crotch burned by McDonald's coffee, Christopher Reeve, Stephen Hawking, a Holocaust survivor, or if that Demo lawyer from San Fran has his way, Johnny Walker! Whoever, it'll bring tears to your eyes.

[Revolting cat!]

One more addition to that list of victims: an Afghan orphan!

[Utah Girl]

It'll be an Olympic medalist who has overcome great personal odds to get to where they are. I do like Peggy Fleming as the choice...

[connectthedots]

Peggy Flemming or Phil Mahre.

[Revolting cat!]

And wouldn't it be a challenge to our sensibilities and to this Oprahized and operettazied culture of cheap sentiments if it were merely Joe Shmoe who bags groceries at a local supermarket in the evenings and studies at a community college during the day! Let's drink to the salt of the earth!

[connectthedots]

Given that the State of Utah is determined to not turn this into the Mormon Olympics, it's probably a pretty safe bet that Gordon B. Hinckley won't be the one a-huffin' and a-puffin' up those last few steps... ;-)

If Hinkley is a 'Living Prophet', why not ask him who it will be?

[SuziQ]

I think it should be President Bush, but then, what do I know?

Hey girl! Great minds think alike!! He was my first thought also. Would that be outstanding or what? The security there is tighter than I believe any Olympics has EVER been, so they wouldn't have THAT worry, and if no one outside that tight circle knows until 'showtime', no bad guys would be able to plan for it! I just think that would be so cool!!

[Utah Girl]

Amen! When I first read the list of Olympic torchbearers, I thought that one had to have overcome great personal odds physically or whatever in order to carry the torch. But I must say, SLOC chose well. Many celebrities, many people who overcame problems, and there are many regular Joes out there too who have carried the torch. The wife of a man I used to work with is going to carry the torch. He nominated her because she is a good mom to their kids and because he loves her.

[Utah Girl]

President Hinckley is a prophet of God, not an oracle or a psychic.

[classygreeneyedblonde]

I think it has to be a past Olympian..........one year it was Mahummed Ali..

[Utah Girl]

I agree. The decision for the final torchbearer was made six months ago, and I do believe it will be a Winter past Olympian. (love your smiley rings, BTW. Just watch out for the IOC, they are jealous of their trademarked rings. ;)