Visit to the USOC

While I am in training for Ravelympics I thought it was time to visit a place that I drive by everyday to and from my dayjob, The US Olympic Training Center. They offer free tours of the facility Monday through Saturday starting every hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except holidays.

This facility site was once the ENT Air Force Base until they moved out to Peterson in the 1970s. In 1978 the site was sold to the USOC for $1 for the 35 acres it now occupies. The reason for having this facility in Colorado Springs was recognized after the US competed in the higher altitude of Mexico City.

The tour starts with a short film about training and whichever Olympics are coming up. Then it is a walking tour through the compound. There are several gyms, the big pool, the largest indoor rifle range in the US (third in the world) and the resident halls. The offices will be moving soon to a new complex that is right in downtown Colorado Springs and that move will make room for more gymnasium space for the athletes.

The pool is a regulation Olympic size pool with a V-shaped bottom that cuts down on waves, plus an audio system in and out of the water. It is only drained once every four years for cleaning and repairs. And it is done during the Summer Olympics. The reason is: so they do not take away any training time from the athletes. The whole process of drain, repair and refill takes about a week.

The Olympic athletes that are eligible to be residents on the compound must be in the top 10-15% of their sport nationally. If they are eligible their room, board, phone, internet and some medical expenses are all paid while they train here.

After the tour, I visited the gift shop. Any thing you could want with Beijing Olympics is available now. You can go into the gift shop at the Visitor Center during open hours without taking the tour if you like. Loopy had his picture taken with two of the five Beijing mascots.

Loopy on right with Huan Huan (the torch) and Jing Jing (the Panda) on the left