Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Announces Organizing Committee

SALT LAKE CITY — Fraser Bullock was officially named executive chair and president for the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City while former Utah Speaker of the House Brad Wilson was named as chief executive officer on Friday at the Utah State Capitol.

Bullock served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer for the 2002 Winter Games and led Utah’s 2034 bid effort as president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games. Wilson, who served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2011-23, will manage the day-to-day operations of the organizing committee while Bullock will drive strategy and relationship building.

“It has been a long journey, but it’s really an exciting time,” Bullock said, having signed the last document to officially form the local organizing committee on Friday morning.

“We’ve got a really high bar to get over the amazing Games of 2002,” added Wilson, who recounted his memories of being in the north end of Rice-Eccles Stadium during the Opening Ceremony as the World Trade Center Flag from 9/11 was walked onto the stadium floor. “But I assure you that we will do that. Utah is a very special place because we have very special people here and I’m honored for the opportunity to help this effort with an amazing team of people.”

Vice Chair Steve Starks, chief executive officer of the Larry H. Miller Company and former president of the Utah Jazz, will help oversee the work of the board and support and advise Wilson. Six representatives were named to the executive committee, including Bullock, Starks, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and USOPC President Gene Sykes. Athlete representatives will include Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn and Team USA bobsledder Chris Kinney.

Salt Lake City will host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games after the IOC voted 83-6 in July to return the Winter Games to Utah and the United States for the first time since 2002.

The SLC-Utah Committee for the Games was formed in February 2020 with Bullock heading the group. It named Catherine Raney-Norman, a speedskater who competed in four Winter Games including 2002, as board chair in June 2021. The group held its final meeting in December before Christmas to celebrate its work.

Raney-Norman will head the organizing committee’s Athletes’ Commission and eight Olympic and Paralympic athletes will serve on the board, including 2002 figure skating champion Sarah Hughes, nine-time summer and winter Paralympic champion Oksana Masters, seven-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Allyson Felix and Vonn.

“She’s been so great to partner with … there are several things that she’s going to be doing and those will be continually revealed with the Athletes Commission,” Bullock said. “Our athletes are critical and they are the heart of the Games and Cat represents that voice going forward.”

Hirshland also noted the attention on the Games in 2034 should and will be for the Paralympics as well, calling it “the most unnoticed sports business asset that exists in sport today.”

“We’ve seen some extraordinary milestones over the last several years and I think we can expect the Paralympics to be something different in 2034 than what we’ve seen in the past,” Hirshland said. “It is an enormous opportunity.”

Years ahead of the deadline, the bid group secured 21,000 hotel rooms for the 2034 Games and got agreements with all proposed venues for 2034. The planned $2.83 billion Games operating budget is almost identical to that of 2002, measured in 2034 dollars. A planned $260 million legacy budget will support long-term community sport programs, including the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.

From now until then — and with the nine-year countdown officially recognized earlier this week — the benefits of landing the 2034 Games is already being reflected with international events in biathlon, curling and more scheduled to be in the region in coming years. Starks said the largest block of room nights in Salt Lake is for sporting events instead of conventions.

“It’s a great opportunity for us and with our venues to take advantage of the light that’s shining on Utah,” Starks said.