The Year in Review—February

The Nation | Top news stories for February, 2002 | Bob Jones

Better than gold

Rocked by scandal and threatened by terrorism, the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City looked like a non-starter from the start. Yet despite miles of security fences and a police presence that seemed to outnumber the athletes themselves, the show did go on. And it was a good one.

The United States nearly tripled its best showing at a Winter Games, taking home a combined 34 medals. The burgeoning medal count stimulated interest in the games, and television ratings soared for NBC, which had paid dearly for broadcast rights. Salt Lake City was a winner, too. After a bribery scandal that battered the city's image, organizers were out to prove their sleepy little town deserved its moment on the world stage. Sure enough, the buses ran on time, the snow fell on cue, and the local Mormons refrained from proselytizing their captive audience.