Which Winter Olympics used the official motto 'Light the Fire Within'?

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The Winter Olympics that used “Light the Fire Within” were the Salt Lake City 2002 Games.

Held from February 8 to 24, 2002, the XIX Olympic Winter Games took place in and around Salt Lake City, Utah. The phrase expressed the organizers’ “fire and ice” theme, contrasting Utah’s warm desert landscapes with its snowy mountains and winter-sports setting.

The slogan was also reflected in the Olympic cauldron, which was designed to resemble an icicle with a flame burning inside. At the opening ceremony, members of the 1980 U.S. men’s ice hockey team lit the cauldron, linking the Games to the famous “Miracle on Ice.”

A common mix-up is confusing this event slogan with the broader Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius”—“Faster, Higher, Stronger.” “Light the Fire Within” specifically identified Salt Lake City’s 2002 Winter Olympics.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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