The Salt Lake Olympic Exploratory Committee yesterday "unanimously endorsed a hefty report recommending Salt Lake City go after another Winter Games," according to Lisa Riley Roche of the DESERET NEWS. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert "ceremonially signed a resolution passed by the Legislature declaring the state 'ready, willing and able.'" The final decision about what would likely be a bid for the '30 Winter Games "must be made by the governor and Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski." When that happens is "now up to the USOC." The USOC has until March 31 to determine if an American city will compete for the '26 Winter Games, but backers of another Utah bid "want to be in the mix" because the '26 and '30 Winter Games "could be awarded at the same time." Having an upcoming Olympics in the U.S. makes selling sponsorships for '26 "financially challenging for another American city." But committee co-Chair Fraser Bullock said that Salt Lake could "make the numbers work" in '26 if necessary, even though '30 is the preference (DESERET NEWS, 2/8). In Salt Lake City, Mike Gorrell in a front-page piece notes Bullock and Utah Sports Commission Exec Dir Jeff Robbins will "lead a small Utah delegation" to the Pyeongchang Games. Since the '02 Salt Lake City Games ended, Bullock has been an "important adviser to the IOC and other cities preparing to host Winter Games, and he will be meeting with IOC and USOC officials during his stay in South Korea." He will "convey Utah’s unequivocal desire to play host to the Olympics once more" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/8).
