New Committee Formed For Future Salt Lake Olympic Bid
Feb 12, 2020, 10:02 PM | Updated: Feb 12, 2023, 5:17 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Local leaders gathered at the Utah State Capitol’s Gold Room to announce the creation of a new committee for a future Salt Lake Olympic bid.
“It is an exciting day,” said Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. “Utah is the best place for a future Winter Olympic Games.”
It was no surprise to hear Herbert talking about Utah wanting to host another Olympics as the SLC Organizing Committee was announced Wednesday.
Officials did not say whether Salt Lake will look to bid for the 2030 or 2034 Games, but they emphasized showing Utah’s preparedness to the international community.
“I remember the IOC telling us many years ago that you have to keep your place at the table,” said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “Once you lose your place at the table, it’s much harder to get back in the game.”
Robbins came up with the term “ready, willing and able” in describing where Utah stands for hosting a future Olympics.
He also felt this announcement was to further show the International Olympic Committee Utah is serious about it no matter what year that may be.
“We don’t know if we’re going to be 2030, 2034, but the first purpose of our committee is to carefully analyze the pluses and minuses of 2034 and 2030,” said Fraser Bullock, who is the CEO of the new committee announced Wednesday.
2030 or 2034? Fraser Bullock, who is the CEO/President of Salt Lake's new Olympic Committee, says he doesn't know yet but we have to be ready for either year with the new way the International Olympic Committee is doing host bids. Our Olympics reporter Alex Cabrero KSL is doing a story on today's Olympic committee announcement for our 5pm and 6pm newscasts.
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Bullock was also the COO of Salt Lake’s 2002 Winter Games.
The trick with a 2030 bid is Los Angeles has already been awarded the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Traditionally, the IOC doesn’t do back-to-back bids in the same country.
However, those old rules seem to be going away.
For example, the IOC awarded the 2024 and 2028 games to Paris and LA at the same time.
“The bidding process has totally changed,” Bullock said. “Before, they would award a games seven years in advance in a competitive process. Now, it’s a partnership. It’s a dialog.”
Last year, the U.S. Olympic Committee said Salt Lake will be its choice for a future winter games.
The remaining question was 2030 or 2034?
“It behooves us that when opportunity knocks, to be ready. To be prepared. And that’s what we’ve done,” Herbert said.
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