Utah News

At the base of the cloud-shrowded Olympia delle Tofane Olympic women’s downhill ski course near Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Friday, athletes waited out yet another long weather delay. Most people would have filled the hours by staring at screens, either scrolling their social media accounts or queuing up a show. Or maybe playing a few rounds of sudoku or solitaire.

The Team USA women used the time to learn something. Namely, how to get Footloose.

Shannon Colleton, the team physical therapist, appointed herself the instructor of the popular line dance performed by Kevin Bacon in the 1984 film (which was shot entirely in Utah County). She was joined in even rows by five teammates — including Keely Cashman, Breezy Johnson, Bella Wright and Jackie Wiles — all stomping around in their oversized Team USA jackets while tapping their ski boots in near-unison.

Their line dancing may still need some work, but the United States women’s Alpine team competing at these Olympics has definitely found its rhythm. In fact, it just might be the country’s best ever. And a big part of that success, several athletes on the team said, is that they’re constantly learning from each other.

“This team,” said Lindsey Vonn, a veteran of five Olympics, “— in both the quality of our skiing and the vibes that we bring to each other on and off the hill — is the best that I’ve seen.”

Vonn, a part-time Park City resident, said she didn’t think the U.S. could produce a more talented team than the one that competed at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That year the women won three Olympic medals, tying the record from Vancouver 2010, including a gold and a silver by Mikaela Shiffrin and a bronze by Vonn.

The success of Shiffrin and Vonn aside, six other U.S. women earned a total of 11 top-10 World Cup finishes that year. This year, six women not named Vonn or Shiffrin collected a total of 23 World Cup top 10s. Technical specialist Paula Moltzen claimed 11 of those. Johnson scooped up four more.

Those performances have boosted the U.S. women to the top of the standings in the Nations Cup in downhill, slalom, giant slalom and overall.

And Johnson on Sunday put Team USA on the top of the podium in these Olympics with her gold-medal downhill race. She became just the second American woman to win gold in the event, following Vonn’s 2010 victory. Cashman, a former University of Utah skier, finished just off the podium in fourth and Wright was 21st.

Vonn, who tore her ACL two weeks before the Games, crashed early on the course and had to be airlifted out.

“This is the first time I can say that there are multiple people in each discipline, not just speed, but overall, that can medal at any time,” said Johnson, the reigning world champion in downhill and team combined. “Not just today, but the whole season.”

Johnson, a 30-year-old graduate of the Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City, had the sixth-fastest qualifying time in training Friday, once the fog cleared and the dancing stopped, and the fastest on Saturday. She is also scheduled to race in Thursday’s super G.

Johnson said she credits the success of the U.S. team to “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Wright, a Utah native who developed her skills at Snowbird, agrees. She competed on the 2022 Olympic women’s team that won no medals. She said she isn’t sure anyone could foresee this kind of comeback.

“I think,” she said, “that that’s been really shocking, in the best way, for all of us.”

Team USA’s resurgence has hinged, in large part, on Shiffrin’s continued success and Vonn’s return to skiing after retiring in 2019.

Shiffrin has accumulated 108 World Cup victories across all six events and is considered one of the best Alpine skiers of all time, man or women. Right up there with her is Vonn. At age 41, she became the oldest woman to win a World Cup race with her victory at St. Moritz in December. She then won her 84th career World Cup race in January. That set her up as an Olympic gold-medal favorite until she tore the ligament in her knee a week ago. The extent of her injury in Sunday’s downhill and whether Vonn will compete in another event at these Winter Games is unknown. Vonn is scheduled to race the team combined and super G.

Both Shiffrin and Vonn have been more than willing to share their course notes and film sessions with the other skiers, said Wright and Mary Bocock, a Salt Lake City native and Olympic rookie whose specialties are giant slalom and super G.

“If I want advice from her, she will always give me advice and her honest opinion on what she thinks it will feel like,” Bocock, 22, said of Vonn. “… Like in a course report, she’ll say it’s dark and bumpy. And some coaches don’t like to say that because they think the athletes will maybe back off a little bit. But I like to hear that so I’m fully aware of how challenging the course that I’m skiing will actually be.”

Wright agreed. She said she chooses to look at her situation — skiing in a world where Vonn and Shiffrin receive most of the awards and attention — as an opportunity. She thinks others on the team do as well.

“Just being on the team with these two women, it’s never going to happen again. And that is what is so cool,” she said. “… I can’t believe I’m witnessing this much history, and I’m skiing the same courses, and I’m getting course reports from them and giving course reports, and it’s just very, very special and really cool.”

And yet, Wright has noticed the other women on the team — even Bocock — a surprise Olympic qualifier after she started this season on the “C” team — have a few tricks to teach, too. The other skiers just have to be willing to follow their lead.

“Maybe there’s no need to replicate” the success of this team, she said. “I think it’s more of an inspiration for growth and continuing on those same dreams and path, but also have respect for what is happening right now.”

Sunday’s downhill will be followed by team combined on Tuesday, the women’s super G on Thursday and the giant slalom on Feb. 15. Women’s Alpine skiing will close with the slalom, slated for Feb. 18.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — “LOVE,” the iconic 20th-century American artwork, has officially become a permanent fixture in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts collection.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), located on the grounds of the University of Utah, is now home to one of the most recognizable works of art in the world. Taking its place as a permanent part of UMFA’s collection of over 22,000 artworks, “LOVE” is predicted to become a new cultural landmark in the state of Utah.

Originally conceptualized and created in the 1960s by Robert Indiana, “LOVE” has served as a symbol of connection and unity across the world. Now, as it makes its mark on the University of Utah campus, it is expected to draw that same energy here. The University of Utah celebrated the installation of the artwork on Saturday, where University dignitaries and donors came together to commemorate the arrival of “LOVE.”

Though there are 86 iterations of “LOVE,” the statue that now resides on the south lawn of UMFA previously stood on the corner of 55th St. and 6th Avenue in New York City for more than 20 years. “The sculpture was acquired through Christie’s when it became available for sale in 2024,” according to a press release from the University of Utah.

Crowds flock to Salt Lake City skijoring event despite record-breaking lack of snow

The $4.5 million statue has been long sought after by Utah donors, a variety of which helped make its acquisition a reality.

Donors include:

• The State of Utah

• The Coburn Family Trust

• The John and Marcia Price Foundation

• O.C. Tanner Company

• The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

• Zions Bank

• A gift in honor of Scott and Jesselie Anderson from The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation

Speakers for the university promised to protect the statue’s memory and provide education on its significance “forever.”

Latest headlines:

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.

According to Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz have signed Blake Hinson to a two-way deal.

In the 2025-26 G-League season, Hinson is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field and 32.5% from three.

Advertisement

Probably the most interesting thing about this signing is Hinson’s size. He stands 6’8” with a 6’10.25” wingspan. Those are great numbers for a player who’s doing nice things in the G-League. These types of signings are smart because you never know when a player like this can work his way into your rotation. And it becomes more and more likely when you’re adding players with top-tier tools. We’ll see how Hinson does and whether he can earn a standard contract. It would be nice if Utah was able to find more talent in the G-League as they move towards contention next season.

It’s also a reminder that the Jazz are looking for players with size and length. The Jazz are looking huge with the Signing of Jaren Jackson Jr., and this type of signing seems to fit with the Jazz’s teambuilding philosophy.

Valentine’s Day is still a week away — but a massive three-dimensional block of “LOVE” arrived early at the University of Utah.

On Saturday, the state’s flagship university celebrated the installation of American pop artist Robert Indiana’s iconic “LOVE” sculpture (“Red Outside Blue Inside”) on the south lawn of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

The 12-by-12-by-6-foot sculpture — which was installed earlier this week during overnight hours — has already become a selfie magnet. Scores of people gathering to celebrate the newest campus addition took advantage of Saturday’s spring-like weather for photos.

With its bold red letters — and its distinct slanted “O” — Indiana’s “LOVE” sculpture is one of the world’s most recognizable pop art images. Now university officials and donors hope it becomes an inviting symbol of friendship, unity and optimism at a moment when American college campuses are often associated with tumult and division.

“This is indeed an incredible day,” said University of Utah President Taylor Randall on Saturday, saluting each of the organizations who helped the “LOVE” sculpture find a new home at the school.

Bringing the $4.5 million sculpture to the University of Utah was the joint effort of the State of Utah and a variety of university donors — including The Coburn Family Trust, The John and Marcia Price Foundation, O.C. Tanner Company, The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Zions Bank, and a gift in honor of Scott and Jesselie Anderson from The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation.

Randall has been asked why the University of Utah would acquire a major piece of art when college budgets are tight.

The university, he responded, brings in students to inspire intellect. “But we also try to teach them about emotion — and how emotion moves society.”

Randall noted there are “two great emotions” motivating society: one is fear. The other, love.

Only one of those sentiments is positive, he said. “And it’s the role of this institution to create positive change. And so to have a statue that screams love in the midst of often chaos, competition and argument, it puts our priority — both as a society and as an institution — in perspective.”

The president said it’s his hope that the work being produced across campus is motivated by love. “Because if it’s motivated by love, it actually speaks a lot for our future.”

Love, he added, is a choice. “(Love) should be the great motivator.”

A ‘New Yorker’ finds a new home in Utah

First created in the 1960s, there are 86 iterations of Indiana’s “LOVE” sculpture — but only nine were produced in the 12-by-12-by-6-foot parameters of the work now installed at the University of Utah, according to the school.

Prior to being purchased and relocated to Utah, the sculpture was located on the corner of 55th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City for more than two decades. It was reportedly acquired through Christie’s auction house when it became available for sale in 2024.

UMFA Executive Director Gretchen Dietrich thanked President Randall and his team — including workers who installed the sculpture in the February cold — for their combined efforts to bring “LOVE” to the University of Utah.

Dietrich also applauded the donors whose generosity helped acquire the “LOVE” sculpture. “And I also wish to express gratitude to the Utah State Legislature’s continued support of the University of Utah, and commend our leaders for their honoration of art.”

She also saluted the tenacity of former UMFA advisory board member Jonathan Freedman to help launch the school’s successful pursuit of the “LOVE” sculpture.

The “LOVE” sculpture “is now a highlight of the UMFA’s permanent collection of over 22,000 artworks — and the museum and the university are committed to its long-term care and preservation for future generations,” said Dietrich.

The newly installed “LOVE” sculpture, she added, doubles as a reminder of the need to work together to build communities reflecting institutional and personal values, “and to create public spaces where all people — our students, perhaps most especially — feel welcome, valued and safe.”

Lisa Eccles, the president and COO of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, told the Deseret News that the “LOVE” sculpture is a beloved piece of art that has been seen by legions in New York City for more than 20 years.

“And now to have it on campus is just going to be a treasure.”

Eccles added Utah is an apt home for the “LOVE” sculpture “because our community and our state are about love and giving back and volunteering and taking care of each other.

“So what a great reminder of what we should be striving for.”

This post is brought to you by FanDuel, proud partner of SBNation.

Aggies most likely to make the NCAA Tournament

Just under half the voters think Utah State is the most likely team to make the NCAA Tournament. New Mexico also got a lot of votes, with 35% believing in them. San Diego State and Grand Canyon did not get a lot of votes in this one.

Advertisement

Mountain West a three-bid league?

That’s what about two-thirds of fans in this poll believe. Three makes sense, with Utah State, New Mexico, and San Diego State all in good position, But teams like Nevada or Grand Canyon could end up as bid stealers. A good chunk of people think the MW could be a mere two-bid league.

There were a lot of checked boxes on Friday night as the 15^th-ranked Utah gymnastics team defeated Arizona 197.125-195.975.

The Red Rocks had the solid start they wanted, and arguably deserved an even better bars score from the judges than 49.25.

Advertisement

They also were able to carry over their momentum from bars and keep rolling with an even better result on vault (49.40).

Maybe most importantly, they showed they can score in the 197.000 range even with some mistakes across events.

“One of our goals was to score over a 197.000, and obviously we did that on the road, which is a really big step for us,” said Utah coach Carly Dockendorf.

The final score was the Red Rocks’ second-best of the season and their best since Jan. 12.

On bars, it was the latter part of the lineup that led the way, as Ella Zirbes, Ana Padurariu and Avery Neff reeled off three 9.90s in a row to tie for the event title.

Advertisement

That closing effort helped Utah avoid counting both of its earlier scores under 9.725.

Zirbes was even better in her next effort to win vault with a 9.925, while Zoe Johnson had a 9.9. The Red Rocks didn’t produce a score lower than 9.85 on vault, including their throw away.

“Vault was so fun to watch tonight,” Dockendorf said. “The crowd was into it, the team was into it and just amazing execution and much better control on our landings.

“Zoe’s vault was just massive, and (she) stuck that cold.”

The box Utah didn’t get to check off was a solid four-event meet because floor couldn’t match its outcome from a week ago.

Advertisement

The Red Rocks finished with a 48.925 after some missteps on landings, including an out of bounds deduction from Johnson and some lower scores, one of which (Makenna Smith’s 9.75) is being queried to learn why it was scored so low.

While the event didn’t go the way Utah wanted it to, another checked box was the Red Rocks’ response to the mistakes.

“I think this (meet) was a big step for us tonight,” Dockendorf said. “Part of that big step was we still did make mistakes, but it was how we responded.”

The response to floor was beam, and it was a good one as the Red Rocks delivered their highest beam score of the season at 49.550.

Advertisement

Utah’s beamers who hit were solid from start to finish, and those in the bottom of the lineup didn’t flinch after Sara Krump fell in the third spot.

Padurariu’s answer earned her a 9.925, but her great routine was quickly one-upped by her teammates Neff and Camie Winger, who both recorded 9.95s.

Their career-tying performances earned them a shared event title.

Overall, Neff was very good Friday as she won the all-around with a 39.625. The sophomore standout has had a few bumps in the road this season and a few big highlights, including recording the first 10.0 of the year in the country early in January.

Advertisement

Her ceiling is high and it seems like she has found her groove to get there.

“Sometimes it takes a few meets to remind yourself of what you need,” Dockendorf said. “I really think she’s putting her formula together to do what we all know Avery Neff can do.”

Event winners

All-Around — Avery Neff (Utah); 39.625

Vault — Ella Zirbes (Utah); 9.925

Bars — Ella Zirbes, Ana Padurariu and Avery Neff (Utah); 9.90

Beam — Avery Neff and Camie Winger (Utah); 9.95

Floor — Avery Neff (Utah), Emma Strom (Arizona), 9.9

Next up

Utah is back at the Huntsman Center to host No. 23 BYU next Friday.

High school and middle school students — and some of their parents and teachers — are marching in the streets of Salt Lake City, Park City and other communities to add their voices to those who publicly deplore the violent, racist, illegal and unconstitutional actions of the federal agency known as ICE.

Students at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University are protesting the inclusion of another rogue federal agency, Customs and Border Protection, in those school’s campus job fairs.

Utah, your kids are all right.

Among the grown-us, Utah businesses led by the Utah Small Business Strike Coalition are taking part in one-day closures, or donating to the cause, to protest the vile activities of supposed federal officers who act with no regard for the Constitution, or for law enforcement professionalism.

(Here’s a spreadsheet with the names of businesses who are supporting the movement. You may want to direct some of your business there. If you know of others, add their names to the comments below.)

We are a long way from Minneapolis, but we know what is necessary in these times.

Note that these efforts in Utah, like those in Minnesota, are overwhelmingly peaceful, sometimes even joyful, as those participating feel good about what they are doing and how many other people are with them.

They are led and followed by people who know that the very last thing we need is more anger and violence. The Trump administration wants nothing more than an excuse to crack down on public opinion, to be given an excuse to detain, or open fire on, those who disagree with the government.

Even to have an excuse to cancel the 2026 elections.

The actions of ICE the CBP are not only harming powerless individuals, they are making us all less safe in our communities.

Too many of these federal goons are wearing masks, not wearing any official identification, driving unmarked cars, pretending to be above the law, scornful of federal judges who are trying to rein them in.

That harms the ability of real law enforcement agencies — our police, sheriffs, state patrols — to work within their communities, to be trusted by them, to really enforce the law and keep our homes and streets safe.

These local officers work in plain sight, no masks, names and badge numbers in the clear, as brave and honorable law enforcement officers do.

There are efforts in Congress to limit the lawless activity of these empowered thugs. To force them to show their faces, wear ID, obey the law and heed the judges who are there to enforce that law. At the very least, all of Utah’s political class should support those efforts.

Just as our neighbors, and their children, are.

Editorials represent the opinions of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, which operates independently from the newsroom.