Thirteen Latter-day Saints Compete in 2002 Winter Olympic Games

Thirteen Latter-day Saints from around the world are known to have competed in the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in February and March. Two of these athletes, Joe Pack and Lacey Heward, won medals.

Brother Pack, a member of the Park City Ward, Park City Utah Stake, took the silver medal in aerial ski jumping. He was the first Latter-day Saint to win a medal in the Winter Games since 1964. Sister Heward, Mount Mahogany Ward, Highland Utah East Stake, won bronze medals in the super-G and giant slalom in the mono-ski division of the Paralympics.

Keith Barney, the other Latter-day Saint who competed in the Paralympics, took part in the five-kilometer cross-country race and in the sit-ski division of the men’s biathlon. He is a member of the Alpine 11th Ward, Alpine Utah Stake.

Rowena Bright from the Cooma Branch, Canberra Australia Stake, was a contender in the Olympic Alpine ski events of slalom, giant slalom, and combined.

Paul O’Connor of the Provo First Ward, Provo Utah Bonneville Stake, competed for Ireland in cross-country skiing. Brother O’Connor was the first Nordic skier ever to compete for Ireland.

Tamami Tanaka has been a member of the Japanese biathlon team since 1995 and is a member of the Moiwa Ward, Sapporo Japan West Stake. She competed in four biathlon events.

Werner and Chris Hoeger, a father and son pair from the DeMeyer Park Ward, Meridian Idaho North Stake, represented Werner’s home nation of Venezuela in the luge event. At age 48, Werner was the oldest luge competitor, and at age 17, Chris was the youngest.

Another luge participant was Dinah Browne of the St. Croix Branch, Puerto Rico San Juan Mission. Sister Browne made Winter Olympic history as the first black female athlete ever to compete in the luge. She competed for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Also representing the U.S. Virgin Islands was Quinn Wheeler, who competed in the two-man bobsled event. Brother Wheeler’s home ward is the Taylorsville 39th Ward, Taylorsville Utah South Stake.

Two sisters played on the German ice hockey team. Stefanie Wartosch-Kurten of the Ludwigsburg Ward, Stuttgart Germany Stake, was a goalie; her sister, Sabine Rückauer of the Waiblingen Branch, Stuttgart Germany Stake, was a defender.