Colorado Springs' Olympic and Paralympic Training Center Shapes Champions

The elite facility has transformed from a former Air Force base into a world-class training ground for U.S. athletes.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, once home to a military base, has become a premier training facility for top U.S. athletes. The center provides state-of-the-art resources like an aquatic center, altitude training facility, and more to help athletes reach their full potential. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, a private non-profit, covers the costs for invited athletes to train and live on the 36-acre campus.

Why it matters

Colorado Springs has become a hub for the Olympic and Paralympic movements, with the training center and 25 of the 52 National Governing Bodies for various sports based in the city. The facility helps the U.S. develop world-class athletes who can compete at the highest levels of international competition.

The details

The training center was established nearly 50 years ago when the loosely formed U.S. Olympic Committee was searching for a permanent home. They were able to acquire the former Ent Air Force Base property for just $1. Over the decades, the facility has been transformed with new dorms, an aquatic center, sports centers, an athlete welcome center, and an altitude training facility that can mimic any environment. All of these resources are available to invited athletes at no cost, allowing them to focus on reaching their full potential.

  • The U.S. Olympic Committee settled on the former Ent Air Force Base in the late 1960s.
  • The training center has been operating for nearly 50 years, since the lead-up to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The players

Mike Beagley

Director of sport venues and high performance centers for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Davis Tutt

Director of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the entity that works to attract National Governing Bodies to base their headquarters in Colorado Springs.

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee

A privately funded non-profit organization that covers the costs for invited athletes to train and live at the Colorado Springs facility.

National Governing Bodies

The organizations responsible for each sport throughout the United States, 25 of which are based in Colorado Springs.

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What they’re saying

“This is probably the most important facility on campus in my opinion. It's much like checking into a nice hotel where you'll get your key and your schedules and all the different things you need to compete at the highest level.”

— Mike Beagley, Director of sport venues and high performance centers for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (koaa.com)

“There is something about this community and the Olympic movement that is here, and the Paralympic Movement that people do want to come here. Organizations want to come here, and our city has really gotten behind that, and we take pride in the fact that we are Olympic City USA.”

— Davis Tutt, Director of Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (koaa.com)

What’s next

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee continues to invest in and expand the training center's facilities and resources to support the development of elite American athletes.

The takeaway

Colorado Springs has become a hub for the Olympic and Paralympic movements, with the training center and numerous National Governing Bodies based in the city. The facility's state-of-the-art resources and the city's embrace of the Olympic ideals have made it a premier destination for U.S. athletes to train and reach their full potential.