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MIDWAY — Most people pay attention to a sport like cross-country skiing once every four years.
Spend a few minutes with Scott and Jessie Datwyler, though, and there's a good chance you'll watch because of them.
"We don't know these names, but maybe in the Olympics, we'll say, 'Oh, that's a name that was down there,'" said Smithfield resident Scott Datwyler.
"We want to look like Norwegians,” Scott Datwyler said laughing.
The Datwylers drove two hours from their home in Smithfield to ring cowbells during the Junior World Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow.
"These are the next people who will be in the Olympics,” Jessie Datwyler said.
Watching future Olympians amazes the Datwylers, and so does the venue.
"I'm very impressed they're still using it,” Scott Datwyler said. “I mean, we can still come and do this 15 years later. That’s awesome.”
It's not just Soldier Hollow, but all the venues from Salt Lake City's 2002 Winter Olympic Games are still being used today. That is what kind of what makes Utah unique.
"Certainly, here in Utah, we had folks who really planned in advance of our games to have a legacy afterwards," said Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation president Colin Hilton.
This week, ski jumping is one of three sports using Salt Lake's Olympic venues for World Championship competitions.
"It's not just for elite athletes,” Hilton said. “It’s for community uses, like recreation centers, to develop and introduce athletes, young people to these sports.”
This week is also the 15-year celebration of Utah's Olympics, with a big party planned for Saturday at Soldier Hollow, which is open to the public.
For the Datwylers, anything to do with 2002 is special.
"I think it's great,” Jessie Datwyler said. “Every time we go by the stadium in Salt Lake City and I see that flame, it makes me feel happy, proud and sentimental."
Contributing: Xoel Cardenas
