OLYMPIC UTAH
SLC Committee members to meet with IOC
Oct 5, 2021, 8:08 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Olympic Games continues to prepare a bid to host the Winter Games in 2030 or 2034.
Committee members met Tuesday and said they’re guardedly optimistic about that process.
Key committee members planned a face-to-face meeting with the International Olympic Committee late November.
The Salt Lake Committee for the Games wants to keep the process moving, even though the International Olympic Committee is focused on the upcoming Winter Games in Beijing.
“We have strong bid readiness and we are in great shape. We try to continue to enhance our bid readiness every day so that we’re ready to go,” said Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games.
“We are pushing forward,” he said. “We’re ready, so that when the door opens, we are pushing full speed ahead.”
In a media briefing after the committee meeting, Bullock said they still don’t know whether Salt Lake will bid for the 2030 or 2034 Games.
They are in regular talks with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee about that plan and hope to have a decision by the end of the year.
So far, four other cities globally have expressed interest.
“Over time, it does become more competitive as more and more cities express interest,” he said.
The Salt Lake Committee is getting venues and hotel accommodations under contract and preparing bid documents.
“This is one of the things we have to have in place and really foundational to our effort,” Bullock said.
Bullock and Committee Chair Catherine Raney Norman will go to Europe in late Nov. to show the IOC the work they’ve done.
“We will renew and develop relationships. We will receive learning and feedback,” the committee president said.
The committee for the games is also shoring up community and political support.
“It’s like the wind at our backs and helps propel us forward,” Bullock said.
Community support is above 80%, according to their polls.
“Everybody loves the Games, wants to bring them back,” he said. “Having unified support is another distinctive element to our bid preparation.”
One complication for the Salt Lake bid is that Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Summer Games.
