Go For the Gold - Salt Lake City, UT - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

This statue of a downhill skier is situated at the west end of the George S. Eccles 2002 Legacy Bridge on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Go For the Gold sculpture was created by Jonathan Bronson for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was donated by Robert L. Rice and Kenneth O. Melby.

It is a bronze statue of an Olympic downhill skier mounted to the Salt Lake City Olympic LOGO in the background, which stands atop the Olympic rings, which are attached to the concrete base. As a backdrop for the sculpture, there is a large red rock boulder, directly behind the skier. The plaque attached to the base reads:

Go For the Gold

Sculpted by Jonathan Bronson

Donated by Robert L. Rice and Kenneth O. Melby

The statue was placed along the direct walking path between the Athlete's Village and the Rice-Eccles Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies were held.

This 2001 press release from the University of Utah describes the bridge and the sculpture, as follows:

"The new state of the art pedestrian bridge took years to plan, design and construct. The 300-foot bridge spans six lanes of Wasatch Drive and is designed to accommodate foot and bicycle traffic. It was paid for with a generous gift from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation.

The bridge will allow athletes to bypass traffic on their way to Rice Eccles/Olympic Stadium. After the games, when the Athlete's Village will once again become student housing, the bridge will allow students to access the rest of campus, literally bridging the gap between the two campuses.

In conjunction with the bridge dedication, a statue will be unveiled on the west end of the bridge celebrating the Olympic spirit. Designed by artist Jonathan Bronson, the sculpture is entitled "Go for the Gold." This official 2002 Olympic Winter Games sculpture is a gift to the University of Utah from Robert L. Rice and Kenneth O. Melby." SOURCE