I flew out of Detroit early in the morning and arrived in Denver, Colorado. Denver Airport deserves special mention for its beauty. The Westin hotel building, resembling a ‘W’ or bird wings, and the airport’s light, airy structure with a roof mimicking nearby mountain peaks, make it the most beautiful airport I’ve ever seen. Then, we drove south to Colorado Springs, the Olympic City of the USA, home to the US Olympic Committee and training bases for various sports teams.

Visiting the USA Hockey headquarters was astonishing. It felt more like a museum than an office, emphasizing that great victories require strong rivals. Each trophy and medal has its own story of victories and defeats, a result of the team’s effort on and off the ice.

And of course, there were gifts reminding rivals that they didn’t become Olympic champions this time.