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SALT LAKE CITY — After a day of meetings with International Olympic Committee officials at their headquarters in Switzerland, the head of Utah's bid for another Winter Games said Wednesday there's still "no definitive answer" on whether that's for 2030 or 2034 — and there may not be for a while.
"They know we would certainly love to do Games sooner rather than later," Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games told reporters during a virtual news conference. However, questions remain about back-to-back Olympics in the U.S., since the 2028 Summer Games are in Los Angeles.
Choosing to keep the Olympics in the same country for two Games in a row would not only be politically difficult for the IOC — something Bullock recently explained to bid committee members in Salt Lake City — it also could reduce revenues from domestic sponsorships.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee that selected Salt Lake City in 2018 to bid for an unspecified future Winter Games and shares in the money made from sponsorships has been working with Los Angeles organizers behind the scenes to address the financial issues.
"Our position is, we will host a Games when it is in the best interest of the Olympic movement and all the pieces fit together as best we can. We're trying to make those pieces fit together as soon as we can," Bullock said, considering what's best for the USOPC and others involved.
That may take time.
"There's no definitive answer at all yet, and we won't expect that until probably well in the targeted dialog," he said, referring to the next stage of the bid process for the city — or cities — now expected to be named in early December to enter into negotiations with the IOC to host an upcoming Winter Games.
Under the IOC's new, less formal process for naming a host city, multiple bids have been awarded at the same time, something that observers believe may happen with the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games, given the candidates in the race.
Our position is, we will host a Games when it is in the best interest of the Olympic movement and all the pieces fit together as best we can. We're trying to make those pieces fit together as soon as we can.
–Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games
Salt Lake City's strongest rival is seen as Sapporo, Japan; but Vancouver, Canada, has just laid out its plans for the first Indigenous-led Olympics that would include a competition site five hours away from the city. A bid by Barcelona, Spain, and the Pyrenees mountain region appears to have stalled.
Asked whether Utah is counting on the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games hosts to be chosen as part of the current bid process, Bullock said, "that's all up to the IOC. We just put our heads down, give our best proposal, and let them go through their processes."
He said the Utah bidders have been assured they've already delivered everything needed for the IOC's Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games to make its recommendations to the IOC Executive Board sometime in November. The IOC Executive Board is set to advance a city or cities in early December.
The final host city vote by the full IOC membership is planned for May 2023. Bullock said even though the work for this phase of the bid process is completed, bidders will stay busy with plans for public engagement to hear their concerns and expectations for another Olympics.
Related:
Winter Olympics 2030: Will it be in Utah? What can Utahns expect?
Not everyone is excited about the possibility another Olympics could be coming to Utah. That's why Park City and Summit County leaders are planning to survey residents this fall about the pluses and minuses of hosting again.Another member of the Utah bid team, retired world champion Alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, described the IOC officials they met with, including IOC President Thomas Bach, as "very receptive and very positive." Vonn, who competed in the Olympics for the first time at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, met privately with Bach.
Bullock said the IOC president complimented the vision presented by the Utah team, which also included the bid committee chairwoman, four-time Olympic speedskater Catherine Raney Norman, consultant Darren Hughes and a representative of Gov. Spencer Cox, Nubia Peña, director of the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs.
The governor's office said the travel costs for Peña, a senior adviser to the governor on equity and opportunity, were paid for by the privately funded bid committee and no state funds were used. Peña serves on the bid committee's governing board.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall had hoped to make the trip, too, but stayed in Utah because of a critical budget vote. Mendenhall said in a statement she hopes to attend future IOC meetings in person but has "full faith" in the bid committee leadership.
The mayor said she looks "forward to our continued discussions to bring the Olympics back to Salt Lake City."
