| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
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Games' brightest stars light up party
By Angie Welling
Deseret News staff writer
Without a doubt, the 2002 Winter Olympics are all about the athletes.
But sometimes, after the day's final downhill run or snowboard trick, the Games become less about the sporting events and more about the celebration.
And what a celebration it was Thursday night, at an exclusive Sports Illustrated party at Salt Lake's Club Splash.
The newest American medalists were all there — freestyle skiers Shannon Bahrke and Travis Mayer, as well as the dynamic trio of men's snowboarders who swept the halfpipe competition, Ross Powers, Danny Kass and J.J. Thomas.
Bahrke and Kass clowned around together, showing off their silver medals to one another and a crowd of well-wishers. Bahrke, the Games' first U.S. medalist, stored her hardware in a camera bag slung over her shoulder, while Kass had to dig deep within the pockets of his black leather Team USA jacket for his medal.
Powers and Thomas passed much of the night playing pool in the sports bar, while Mayer kicked up his heels to the tunes of the Los Angeles band Groove Line on the upstairs dance floor.
The guest list wasn't limited to Olympic medalists, though. Tricia Byrnes of the women's U.S. snowboard team was there, as was Australian freestyle skiers Manuela Berchtold and Jane Sexton.
And though the Australian women didn't win any medals, they found plenty to rave about these Olympic Games. Namely, the Olympic Village at the University of Utah.
"Let me tell you about the Village. I love the Village," Sexton said. "I get my hair cut, my nails done and tomorrow I get a facial. And the coffee shop, the coffee shop is amazing!"
Berchtold and Sexton proudly showed off their newly manicured nails, adorned with Olympic logos and flags from different countries.
Also making a guest appearance at the Thursday night party was Tom Cavanagh, star of TV's "Ed." However, rather than immediately mingling with the sports stars, Cavanagh slipped behind the bar and began mixing cocktails.
"I'm just slingin' some drinks," Cavanagh said nonchalantly, as if television stars moonlighting as bartenders is an everyday occurrence.
Food and drinks were in high supply, as was entertainment. Barefooted, cowboy-hat clad models danced on the bars, much to the delight of the nearly 1,000 revelers.
Sports Illustrated advertisers and other Olympic sponsors helped round out the guest list, as well as members of the local and national media.
The party was the second of four Sport Illustrated celebrations planned at Club Splash, 404 S. West Temple.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com
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February 16, 2002
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