If you can see it, you can be it. And that might be why so many of this year’s Olympic athletes are from Utah.Casey Dawson is a long track speed skater who will compete in his second Olympics in Milan Cortina. Dawson grew up in Salt Lake City surrounded by the legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. He was only 2 years old when Utah hosted its first Olympics. But he and other kids took full advantage of Olympic venues that transformed into elite training centers and places for community recreation. At age 10, Dawson joined an after-school intro to speedskating program at the Utah Olympic Oval. “I got coached by Olympians when I was 10 years old. I think that’s what kept me in sports, doing speedskating and skiing in the mountains,” Dawson said. Dawson made the U.S. Speedskating team just seven years after trying that after-school program. He made his first Olympic Team in 2022 and won bronze in team pursuit in Beijing. These days, he has the luxury of training for the upcoming Winter Games in his hometown. U.S. Speedskating is still based out of the Utah Olympic Oval. And that facility was a key factor in Utah securing its second Olympic bid for the 2034 Games. Dawson said, “Out of the big heritage from the 2002 Games and now continuing into the 2034 Games coming up, it’s just an amazing thing we have going on in Utah.” Dawson and his long track teammates will compete Feb. 7-21 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
If you can see it, you can be it. And that might be why so many of this year’s Olympic athletes are from Utah.
Casey Dawson is a long track speed skater who will compete in his second Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Dawson grew up in Salt Lake City surrounded by the legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. He was only 2 years old when Utah hosted its first Olympics. But he and other kids took full advantage of Olympic venues that transformed into elite training centers and places for community recreation.
At age 10, Dawson joined an after-school intro to speedskating program at the Utah Olympic Oval.
“I got coached by Olympians when I was 10 years old. I think that’s what kept me in sports, doing speedskating and skiing in the mountains,” Dawson said.
Dawson made the U.S. Speedskating team just seven years after trying that after-school program. He made his first Olympic Team in 2022 and won bronze in team pursuit in Beijing.
These days, he has the luxury of training for the upcoming Winter Games in his hometown. U.S. Speedskating is still based out of the Utah Olympic Oval. And that facility was a key factor in Utah securing its second Olympic bid for the 2034 Games.
Dawson said, “Out of the big heritage from the 2002 Games and now continuing into the 2034 Games coming up, it’s just an amazing thing we have going on in Utah.”
Dawson and his long track teammates will compete Feb. 7-21 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
