| 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 |
|
|
|
|
Torino to grab Olympic spotlight for 6 minutes during closing ceremonies
By Sara Giles
Deseret News staff writer
As the curtain closes on the 2002 Winter Games, the rehearsal is just beginning for Torino, host city of the 2006 Winter Games.
And city planners hope to lend an edgy and trendy impression to the sleepy Italian town in the heart of the Alps.
The Torino Organizing Committee (TOROC) is eagerly awaiting its moment to shine — or its six minutes to be exact — during Sunday's closing ceremonies.
As is the custom, the mayor of the current host city will hand over the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next Winter Games host city. In this case it'll be Rocky Anderson handing off to Sergio Chiamparino.
To boost excitement levels while the world's attention is focused, TOROC 2006 has prepared a showcase of its city and Italy.
Images of Torino will be projected on the field of Rice-Eccles Stadium as Italian pop rock stars, Elisa and Irene Grandi, sing.
Andrea Varnier, TOROC director of communications, adamantly stressed that Italy has a rich history but also is "very modern." To that end, TOROC will have models slink down a runway in designer clothes of Versace, Valentino and Dolce and Gabbana. TOROC will also use Italian pop stars instead of the stereotypical Italian opera singers to emphasize the readiness of Torino to embrace the modern world.
TOROC President Valentino Castellani said there are many things about the 2002 Winter Games he would like to implement. However, he said he doesn't think TOROC should copy Salt Lake's Games because the environments are so different.
"We are not better or worse locations. We are just different than Salt Lake," Castellani said.
He also said TOROC had a long way to go with preparations. He said 40 percent of its venues are not yet even started.
Regarding whether TOROC will attempt to implement the same security measures of the Salt Lake Games, he said security awareness has been unusually high here. Castellani said he hopes that in four years, "the world would be a better place and such strict security would not be necessary."
He commended SLOC on its security measures. "It's not easy to make people feel secure and relaxed at the same time."
E-mail: sgiles@desnews.com
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February 23, 2002
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