United States Olympic Training Center

Not to be confused with United States Training Center.

The United States Olympic Training Centers (OTCs) are three campuses created by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lake Placid, New York; and Chula Vista, California. There is a U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Michigan, and other official U.S. Olympic/Paralympic training sites are located in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Oklahoma; Carson, California; Birmingham, Alabama; Charlotte, North Carolina; the Pettit National Ice Center in West Allis, Wisconsin; a USRowing training center in Princeton, New Jersey;, Huntsville, Texas and the SPIRE Institute near Geneva, Ohio.

Some athletes preparing for the Olympics, Paralympics, and Pan American Games live at one of the OTCs for a period of months or years, while others visit periodically with their respective national teams for training camps, coaching (especially in sports science and sports psychology), or physical testing. Although foreign national teams are occasionally granted use of the USOTCs, they are used mainly by athletes from the United States.

Digital displays counting the days until the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 Winter Olympics at the Colorado Springs OTC during the Beijing Games.

Colorado Springs

The Colorado Springs OTC was the first to be built, and has been the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee since 1978. Its location on the former Ent Air Force Base was selected for its relatively high elevation, which is often thought to improve training effectiveness. Its facilities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, an indoor shooting range, the Olympic Training Center Velodrome, two sports centers housing numerous gymnasiums and weight rooms, and a sports science laboratory, in addition to an athlete center and dining hall, several dormitories, a visitors' center, and the offices of both the USOC and U.S. Paralympics.

Lake Placid

The second OTC facility opened in November 1982, two years after hosting the 1980 Winter Games. The LPOTC is home to four resident sports: Bobsled/Skeleton, Luge, Freestyle Ski, and Biathlon. Athletes from boxing, canoe and kayak, judo, rowing, synchronized swimming, taekwondo, team handball, water polo and wrestling also train frequently on site.

Chula Vista (San Diego)

The third OTC is in Chula Vista, which is located about 7 miles (11 km) south of the city of San Diego, is where the U.S. national rugby sevens team trains. The 150-acre campus features sport venues and support facilities for eight Olympic sports: archery, canoe/kayak, cycling, field hockey, rowing, soccer, softball and track & field. In June 1995, the training center, then known as ARCO Training Center for sponsorship reasons, was open. Over the years more facilities, such as beach volleyball courts and a BMX track, were added.

External links

• US Olympic Committee website
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