Parade of Olympians marches through Park City
Apr 6, 2018, 9:39 PM | Updated: Apr 17, 2023, 4:02 pm
PARK CITY, Utah – Thousands of people stood on both sides of Park City’s Main Street to cheer and say congratulations to the more than 40 Olympic athletes participating, especially to those home grown stars from Park City.
Three-year-old Hazel Schiller was among the excited fans Friday afternoon.
“I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking,” said her father Matt Schiller to her. “Let’s see where we can get a flag for you.”
Friday was a big day for Hazel. Not only did she get to wear her PyeongChang Olympics mascot outfit, which she even knows is named Soohorang, but she also knew she was going to see her heroes. That’s why she wanted a flag.
“She’s on fire. We watched every event. She loved every minute of it,” her father said.
Main Street in Park City was closed for about 30 minutes so the Parade of Olympians and Paralympians could go through town.
The stars included 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist skier Ted Ligety, PyeongChang bronze medalist speedskater Mia Manganello, ski jumpers Abby Ringquist and Will Rhoads, and bobsled athlete Chris Fogt.
“Being a part of this whole movement towards the Olympics in such an amazing area and an amazing community is really something special that I don’t think anywhere else has,” said Ringquist, who is from Park City.
“Park City has a huge Olympic heritage,” said Ligety. “Besides have the Olympics here and a whole plethora of Olympic athletes that have come out of here and a bunch of athletes who have won Olympic medals and Olympic gold medals, it’s so cool to have that support system.”
Ligety is also from Park City and grew up in its sports programs.
He says he knows what it’s like to look up to athletes as a young kid aspiring to make an Olympic team.
That’s why, he says, he was looking forward to the parade, because you never know when tomorrow’s athlete is the one waving at today’s athletes.
“It’s cool to be able to come in and interact with this next generation of kids coming up, because one of these kids out here will be winning medals soon enough as well,” said Ligety.
Here is a list of athletes who competed in the 2018 Olympics, who were expected to be in the parade:
Ted Ligety, 2x Olympic Gold medalist, Alpine
Brita Sigourney, Olympic Bronze medalist, Freeskiing/Halfpipe
Kevin Bickner, Nordic Jumping
Chris Fogt, Bobsled
Megan McJames, Alpine
Bubba Newby, Freeskiing/Halfpipe
Seamus O’Connor Snowboard/Halfpipe
Madison Olsen, Freestyle/Aerials
Will Rhoads, Nordic Jumping
Abby Ringquist, Nordic Jumping
Morgan Schild, Freestyle/Moguls
Darian Stevens, Freeskiing/Slopestyle
McRae Williams, Freeskiing/Slopestyle
Liz Swaney, Freeskiing/Halfpipe
Stephanie Victor, 4x Paralympic Medalist, Alpine
Mia Manganello, Olympic Bronze medalist, Long Track Speed Skating.
Athletes in prior Olympics who were expected to be in the parade:
Billy Demong, Nordic Combined
Eric Heiden, Speed Skating
Summer Sanders Schlopy, Swimming
Dick Roth, Swimming
Valerie Fleming, Bobsled
Shauna Rohbock, Bobsled
Bill Schuffenhauer, Bobsled
Bryon Wilson, Moguls
Emily Cook, Aerials
Fuzz Feddersen, Aerials
Preston Griffall, Luge
Noah Hoffman, Cross Country Skiing
Jim Holland, Ski Jumping
Lauren Cholewinski Isaac, Speed Skating
Jana Johnson, Aerials
Devry Karz, Rowing
Tracy Evans Land, Aerials
Missy Marlowe, Gymnastics
Craig Rodman, Moguls
Erik Schlopy, Alpine
Carrie Sheinberg, Alpine
Sean Smith, Moguls
Lindsey Van, Ski Jumping
Jared Ward, Track & Field
Trace Worthington, Aerials