Salt Lake City Organizes Olympic Bid Committee

Having hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games once before, Salt Lake City and the state of Utah have formed a joint committee “in preparation for a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

Governor Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall jointly named members to the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games. The new committee will be chaired by Cindy Crane, retired president and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Power. Jeff Robbins, president and chief executive officer of the Utah Sports Commission, and Colin Hilton, president and chief executive officer of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, will serve as vice chairs, while Fraser Bullock, managing director of Sorenson Capital will act as president and chief executive officer.

A broader group of sport, business and civic leaders will comprise the overall committee including 10 Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

“This committee is an important next step for Utah, as the state of sport, to show that we continue to be ready, willing and able to play host to a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” said Herbert.

Salt Lake City, which hosted in 2002, was named in 2018 as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee choice for a future Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games bid. The USOPC will put forward any U.S. bid to the International Olympic Committee and the new committee’s formation will stand as the local stakeholder once a bid is submitted.

“We are thrilled to work with this extremely talented and knowledgeable group as we collectively refine our vision for a U.S. bid, and we know that when the time is right to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games back to Utah–Salt Lake City will be ready.” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “This community has demonstrated decades of commitment to Team USA athletes and to welcoming the world for competition and training. That’s legacy in action and when coupled with the world-class venues and a love for winter sport is what makes the idea of the Games returning to Utah so special.”

Beijing will play host to the 2022 Winter Games and Milan-Cortina, Italy, won the right to the 2026 Games last summer. Salt Lake City, Barcelona and Sapporo, Japan, were named as interested potential 2030 bidders by the IOC earlier in 2020.

At the time, the 2002 Olympics was the largest Winter Games with 78 events and 2,399 athletes and held in the most populous area, although both notables have since been surpassed. The 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Games were both organized by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, which was also an Olympic first.

“In 2002 Salt Lake City took great pride in welcoming the world,” said Mendenhall, who began her first term as mayor last month. “We are ready to welcome the world again as a returning host of a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Our beautiful city has so much to offer our worldwide guests, including the added benefit of our existing Olympic facilities and infrastructure. I feel very strongly about our bid potential.”