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Games bidders in Utah hold more talks with IOC

By Jay Hamburger - Park Record | Nov 28, 2022

Park Record file photo

Deer Valley Resort is identified as a competition venue in the concept map for a second Winter Olympics in the state. The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, made a presentation to the International Olympic Committee about the efforts to host another Olympics.

The group seeking a second Winter Olympics in the state presented to the International Olympic Committee on Nov. 22, indicating to the Switzerland-based organization that Salt Lake City could host the Games in 2030 or 2034.

The presentation by the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games was made as part of the continuing discussions about another Olympics. The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games and the IOC are engaged in talks about a wide range of issues related to Salt Lake City and the wider region’s ability to host an Olympics. The discussions are held in private, and the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games has provided regular updates about the progress.

Salt Lake City is seen as a top contender for a Games in either of the years. A key consideration has been the prospect of Salt Lake City hosting a Winter Olympics two years after Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028. There is concern about two domestic organizing committees raising monies alongside each other. Some of the thinking has been that it could be better for Salt Lake City to host in 2034, allowing the organizers in Los Angeles to raise funds without another Games in the United States following just two years after closing ceremonies in Southern California.

The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games saw the discussion as positive.

“These interactions with the Commission have been a valuable two-way feedback tool. While this process is focused on 2030, we made it clear we are available to host in either 2030 or 2034, whenever it best meets the needs of both the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, as well as our Utah host communities,” Fraser Bullock, the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, said in a prepared statement.

The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, meanwhile, also released summaries of the presentations. Nobody from the governments of Park City or Summit County presented.

Gov. Spencer Cox was one of the presenters, addressing the strong Utah economy, sports in the state and the support for the Olympics by Utahns. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, another presenter, talked about the opportunities a Games could present for sustainability efforts.

Bullock talked about expanding winter sports and, according to the summaries, “reviewed the master plan and spoke on the Salt Lake City-Utah preparedness to host the Games, the compact Games footprint, and the extraordinary Games experience offered to all stakeholders.”

The IOC is expected to select a host for the Games of 2030 sometime in 2023. Salt Lake City is seen as a leading contender for the Games of 2030 or those four years later.

The Park City area is heavily involved in the efforts. Three competition venues — Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and the Utah Olympic Park — are identified on the concept map for a future Games. Soldier Hollow in nearby Wasatch County is also identified as one. The area would be anticipated to have a similar role to the outsized one it had during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

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