A boost for US athletics
Though in existence for only three years, the resort’s Olympic Training Centre was the catalyst for the creation of similar facilities across the United States.
The resort’s Olympic Training Centre opened in 1977 and made use of the facilities created for the 1960 Olympic Winter Games. It was the first such centre to be set up by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and provided the blueprint for further centres at Colorado Springs, Lake Placid, Salt Lake City and Chula Vista, California, all four of which remain operational today.
The idea behind the centre was to allow top US athletes to train under one roof, in line with new concepts in training, scientific research and sports medicine, all as part of a coordinated programme. The expertise and experience acquired at this pioneering centre laid the basis for the design of the second Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs, which opened a year later, in 1978.
The daily operating cost per athlete at the centre was USD 20.32, exactly double that of Colorado Springs. This was partly the result of its more remote location. With the USA’s boycott of the Olympic Games Moscow 1980 also causing a drop in USOC fundraising, a decision was made to close the first Olympic centre that year and sell it off to developers. To compensate for its closure, the USOC expanded operations at Colorado Springs. During its three-year existence around 33,000 athletes from 33 sports used the centre.