Salt Lake City is seen as one of the most prepared locations to host the Winter GamesGETTY IMAGES
The USOC is "planning to make an appointment for a potential bid city" for a future Winter Games by the end of '18, and Salt Lake City is "one of three long-noted, interested cities," along with Denver and Reno/Tahoe, according to Christopher Kamrani of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. The newly formed Salt Lake Exec Committee for the Games met yesterday with the Salt Lake Olympic & Paralympic Exploratory Committee to "brief both groups on the ongoing bid process. Also, Salt Lake Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser in September visited the U.S. Olympic Assembly at USOC HQ in Colorado Springs. The new SLEC, "now co-chaired by Biskupski and Niederhauser, was formed after the OEC completed a comprehensive report that eventually recommended that Salt Lake City and Utah had the ability to pursue" a Winter Games bid. Biskupski said that the committee will "serve as an interim partner" with the USOC as it goes forward with the bid. She also said that the USOC is "planning an on-site visit sometime in November." USOC Chief External Affairs Officer Patrick Sandusky said this is "simply the continuation of an ongoing process to select a city for a potential future Games bid." Kamrani notes there is "little question that Salt Lake City is among the most prepared locations to host," with its "venues, Olympic legacy and strong local support." Biskupski said that the USOC "reiterated it will not bid" for '26. That is "likely due to the potential sapping of sponsorship and marketing deals" from the '28 L.A. Games (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 10/31).
RENO RECONSIDERS: In Utah, Lisa Riley Roche notes the decision by the USOC to "move quickly" has apparently "resulted in the 15-year-old Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition reconsidering its bid." The RTWGC said that it is reviewing the USOC's request for bid information due Nov. 9, and will "only proceed if doing so makes sense for the entire region and has a viable business model." Denver Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee Chair Rob Cohen said that the USOC will be told about recommendations that "any formal bid process should include a statewide vote of the people" in '20 or later. Let Denver Vote campaign manager Brandon Rietheimer said that the USOC's "new timetable might end the effort" to get on the May '19 municipal ballot a referendum to prohibit public spending on Olympics without future voter approval (DESERET NEWS, 10/31).
