October 21, 2019. US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.

October 21, 2019.  US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.  The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo next summer.  Many members of the USA team are now training at the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  American athletes train here in the following sports: boxing, cycling, figure skating, gymnastics, judo, pentathlon, shooting, swimming and wrestling.  Most, if not all, of the indoor athletes train here.  The outdoor athletes train in California and the winter athletes train in Lake Placid, NY.  

The training center is located inside the city on an abandoned military base.  The federal government seeded the land to the city and the city sold it to the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee for one dollar.  Our tour guide, Paul, said the city has recovered the difference between the one dollar and its actual value many times.  He said there are all sorts of supporting industries which came to town, bought property and hired employees to market their goods to the training site.  I am not sure how you measure that, but that's what Paul said.  Who am I to challenge it.  

The center has housing for 150 athletes.  Additionally, there are barracks which will house several hundred more.  Athletes are selected to train here.  Their lodging and meals are provided.  A fair comparison would be full scholarships granted to college or university athletes.  

The tour lasted about an hour and a half.  We made a quick stop in the gift shop and bought a birthday gift for our youngest granddaughter.  She is a very good swimmer and has entertained aspirations about the Olympics.  The statue of the young woman in a swimming suit reminded us of her.  

We had planned to drive up Pike's Peak tomorrow.  Snow is predicted for Wednesday and Thursday.  I expect the road to the top will be snow covered then.  However, a warning light came on in the car so we have an appointment at the repair shop in the morning.  I don't think it is anything serious but who knows how long the repairs will take.  Too bad.  Driving is the only way I'll make it to the top of another fourteener.  

Goodnight.