United States Olympic Training Center facts for kids
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers (often called OPTCs) are special places where top American athletes train. These centers help athletes get ready for big events like the Olympics and Paralympic Games. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) created these facilities.
Currently, there are two main training centers. You can find them in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Lake Placid, New York. There used to be a third center in Chula Vista, California. It is now called the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center and is owned by the city.
Many athletes live at these centers for months or even years. Others visit for shorter training camps. They get coaching in things like sports science and sports psychology. Foreign teams also use these centers sometimes. What's cool is that the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers are the only ones in the world open for public tours!
Contents
Where Do Olympic Athletes Train?
Colorado Springs: High-Altitude Training
The Colorado Springs center was the first one built. It has been the home of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee since 1978. This location was chosen because it is high up in the mountains. Training at a high elevation can help athletes improve their performance.
This center has many great facilities. There is an Olympic-size swimming pool and an indoor shooting range. It also has the Olympic Training Center Velodrome for cycling. Athletes use two large sports centers with many gyms and weight rooms. There is even a special lab for sports science. The center also has dorms for athletes, a dining hall, and a visitors' center. Each year, it hosts the Warrior Games competition.
Lake Placid: Winter Sports Hub
.jpg)
The Lake Placid center opened in November 1982. This was two years after the city hosted the 1980 Winter Games. It is a key place for winter sports training.
Athletes in sports like bobsled, skeleton, luge, freestyle skiing, and biathlon live and train here. Other athletes also visit often. These include those from boxing, canoe and kayak, judo, rowing, synchronized swimming, taekwondo, team handball, water polo, and wrestling.
Chula Vista: A Former Training Center
.jpg)
A third training center opened in June 1995 in Chula Vista, California. This city is about 7 miles (11 km) south of San Diego, California. It was first called the ARCO Training Center because of a sponsor.
In January 2017, the USOPC gave ownership of the center to the City of Chula Vista. It was then renamed the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center. The USOPC decided to change how it runs its training programs. However, the USOPC still helps fund athlete programs at this center. They plan to do so at least until 2024.
This large 150-acre campus has many sports venues. It supports eight Olympic sports. These include archery, canoe/kayak, cycling, field hockey, rowing, soccer, softball, and track & field. Over time, new facilities were added. These include beach volleyball courts and a BMX track. The Chula Vista center also hosts the annual SoCal Showdown. This is a big archery tournament that brings archers from all over the country. It is also a training spot for the U.S. men's and women's rugby sevens teams.
