Some 230,000 tickets to 100 medal events in three sports and ceremonies for the 2002 Paralympics went on sale Monday.
The Paralympics, scheduled for March 7-16, will bring about 1,000 disabled athletes from 36 countries to compete in alpine skiing, nordic skiing, biathlon and ice sledge hockey. Tickets to the events are a fraction of the price to the Winter Games and begin at $5. Winter Games tickets started at $20.
This is the first time both the Winter Games and Paralympics will be staged by the same organizing committee. Making the two Olympics a joint effort is designed to bring Paralympians more into the public spotlight. Chris Waddell, who holds nine Paralympic medals, said Monday that although Paralympians "compete often in complete anonymity," they take being athletes just as seriously as do athletes in the Winter Games.
Candace Cable, a nine-time Paralympic gold medalist, said, "Adaptive sport is highly competitive, and we deserve the public's attention. We promise not to disappoint."
Competition ticket prices range from $5 to $10. Competition venues are Snowbasin Ski Area, Soldier Hollow and the E Center. Opening ceremonies are set for 7 p.m. March 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Closing ceremonies are set for 7:30 p.m. March 16 at Utah Olympic Oval.
Tickets for opening and closing ceremonies range from $20 to $100. Tickets are available at Smith'sTix, online at www.saltlake2002.com/paralympics or by calling 1-800-TICKETS.
Discounts on tickets are available to local businesses, organizations or large groups.