By Nathan Shaw
Laura LeSueur wants to buy Olympic Event tickets and will now have the opportunity through online ticket sales.
LeSueur, 24, a BYU Alumnus from Martinez, California, teaches Fourth Grade at East Midvale Elementary in the Jordan School District. Her father promised her that she would go to an Olympic Event nearly a year ago.
Unfortunately she learned about the original ticket sales last year a little too late when they ended in December 2000. “I didn”t hear about it in time and I didn”t do it in time,” LeSueur said.
LeSueur wants to attend a figure skating event, but unfortunately those were some of the first ones to sell out. Salt Lake Organizing Committee has been planning since the beginning to sell some of the Event tickets online.
“That was always the plan, we had the initial ticket phase sale that went on from October to December,” Mark Walker, Media Relations for SLOC, said.
Those that purchased tickets during the first phase were sent confirmation letters in February. Since the first phase was the ticket request phase some of the orders may not have been completely filled.
Buyers could call in at that time to discuss their options about their tickets and ask for a refund or inquire about more tickets.
“After that phase ended, it was a matter of tightening everything up and getting ready for taking us online, because tickets are now on sale and will remain on sale through games time,” Walker said.
Walker said that expectations for the online sales are to be able to sell more tickets. They still had a little over 200,000 tickets to sell.
“Tuesday”s totals were at $980,000 in ticket sales for Monday – Tuesday totaling 11,052 tickets,” Walker said.
At the time of ticket purchasing the actual seat assignment is unknown, but the price determines the general location. Seats will be assigned later when the tickets are issued.
With tickets moving that quickly it would appear that they will be gone soon.
“No Olympics has ever sold out,” Walker said. “The prime events like Ice Hockey, Figure Skating and things like that are sold out.”
Some of the events that are now sold out include Freestyle Moguls for women qualifications and finals, Snowboarding for women”s half-pipe qualifications and finals, men single Luge runs finals, short track ladies Speed Skating 1500 meters, four man Bobsled, short track men”s 1500 meters, Figure Skating, Dance original and short track men”s 1000 meters.
