The IOC’s final vote on whether the 2034 Winter Games come to Salt Lake City is still months away, but Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is “already considering the prospects of Utah becoming a permanent host,” according to Lisa Roche of the DESERET NEWS. It has been more than a year since IOC leaders delayed a decision on advancing Winter Games bids to take a closer look at how climate change is impacting the event, a discussion that includes the possibility of rotating the Winter Games among “a certain pool” of cities and regions. Cox said he thought Salt Lake City “would be well-positioned” to host multiple games in that scenario. Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games President & CEO Fraser Bullock said that “having a lineup of potential hosts for the next three Winter Games has slowed down any decision from the IOC about setting up a Winter Games rotation.” Bullock: “There’s no urgency to address this issue.” Bullock also noted the IOC “started that work but then, given the significant interest in hosting Winter Games that was expressed by several countries, they have delayed that study.” What any IOC plan might look like also “remains to be seen,” including whether bids from other cities and regions “would continue to be considered.” Bullock said that while he personally sees being part of a Winter Games rotation as a “great ambition” for Utah, there would need to be “extensive community dialogue before seeking a spot.” Cox said that there is “tremendous public support” for the Olympics in Utah. A recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll showing more than 80% of Utahns back the bid to host the 2034 Games (DESERET NEWS, 3/22).
