For the first time since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, World Cup events in bobsled, skeleton, and luge are returning to North America. Even better for Utah residents, Park City’s Utah Olympic Park (UOP) is bringing the events home to Summit County in late November and December of this year.
The Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cups will slide their way into town November 28th through December 4th, followed by the Luge World Cup between December 15th and 17th. Not only is this exciting news for sliding event fans, this is also great news for these winter athletes. According to Aron McGuire, chief executive officer of USA Bobsled/Skeleton, North American athletes have not had the chance to compete on home ice since the 2019-2020 season.
McGuire is excited for the athletes, their families, and the fans to reconnect, saying, “When you have a break in World Cup races, it’s hard to maintain that relationship with the fans. This is an opportunity for us to reengage with the community in Utah and Park City and Salt Lake City. But it’s also a great opportunity for us to continue that strength and that community support and that fan engagement there at the track.”
It has been years since the UOP last hosted a World Cup sliding event. The last luge event was in 2016, while the last bobsled and skeleton World Cup in Park City was in 2017. Since 2020, all World Cup events have taken place in Europe.