Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City’s new Mayor Erin Mendenhall Wednesday announced the formation of an Olympic bid committee organized to negotiate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host a future Winter Olympics.
The group will be formally known as the “Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games”, a joint project at the state and municipal levels.
Herbert said during the announcement at Utah’s State Capitol that the new committee has been formed “to show that we continue to be ready, willing and able to play host to a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”
The next Winter Games available to be hosted will be in 2030.
In December 2018 the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) chose Salt Lake City over Denver as America’s bid for a future Olympic Winter Games when the opportunity opens up.
At the time, officials said no specific Games were being targeted.
Cindy Crane, a retired president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power will lead the bid along with former Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games Chair Fraser Bullock who will serve as President.
Utah Sports Commission president and CEO Jeff Robbins and Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation president and CEO Colin Hilton will be the Vice Chairs.
IOC Claims Sapporo, Salt Lake City and Barcelona In Running To Host Winter Olympics
Herbert and Mendenhall will have honourary roles on the Board with Utah Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Brad Wilson (full list of bid committee members follows below this article).
“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.” Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC said in a statement Wednesday.
“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.”
Los Angeles is scheduled to host the 2028 Summer Olympics and many insiders are concerned that if the U.S. were to host both editions of the Games within 18 months, the domestic sponsorship revenue stream could be overburdened, limiting the earning potential of each.
This would make a Salt Lake City 2034 Games a more strategic option than 2030 for the USOPC.
Last month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that in addition to Salt Lake City, both Sapporo in Japan and a joint bid among Barcelona, Andorra and the Pyrenees were also engaged in formal discussions with intent to bid for a future Winter Olympics.
Sapporo, host city of the 1972 Winter Games, is the only bid of the three to have full backing to pursue the 2030 Games by its National Olympic Committee.
Salt Lake City previously hosted in 2002 and Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Games.
Sapporo 2030 Gets Nod From JOC To Enter Official Olympic Bid Discussion With IOC
Under new IOC rules implemented last June, regions interested in hosting an Olympics are encouraged to enter into a dialogue with one of the IOC’s recently formed Future Host Commissions. From there, mutual opportunities are assessed before a more targeted dialogue occurs and a bid is considered a candidate.
Romanian IOC Member Octavian Morariu heads up the Winter version of the new commission, and it would be up to his team to recommend one or more qualified bids for final vetting by the Executive Board. It’s likely only a single city will be put in front of the IOC Session for the final approval vote, and that can happen whenever the IOC feels the timing is right.
Currently, there is no formal bidding timetable set for any future Olympic Games.
Beijing will host the next Winter Games in 2022 followed by a joint Italian Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2026.
Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games
Board of Directors
Chair: Cindy A. Crane, Retired President & CEO, Rocky Mountain Power
Honorary Chair: Gary R. Herbert, Governor, State of Utah
Honorary Chair: Erin Mendenhall, Mayor, Salt Lake City
Honorary Vice-Chair: Stuart Adams, President, Utah Senate
Honorary Vice-Chair: Brad Wilson, Speaker of the House
Vice-Chair: Jeff Robbins, President and CEO, Utah Sports Commission
Vice-Chair: Colin Hilton, President and CEO, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
President and CEO: Fraser Bullock, Managing Director, Sorenson Capital
Executive Committee
Andy Beerman, Mayor, Park City
Maame Biney (Olympian)
Carine Clark, Technology Entrepreneur
Max Cobb, Chair/USOPC National Governing Bodies Council/President and CEO, U.S. Biathlon
Reverend France Davis (Salt Lake City Mayor Designee), Pastor Emeritus, Calvary Baptist Church
Dr. Bethami Dobkin (Salt Lake City Mayor Designee), President, Westminster College
Spencer F. Eccles, Chairman Emeritus, Wells Fargo Intermountain Banking
Dell Loy Hansen, Founder and CEO, Wasatch Group
Bob Henrie (Governor Designee), R & R Partners
Sarah Hirshland (USOPC Designee), President and CEO, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
David Huntsman, President, Huntsman Foundation
David Layton, President and CEO, Layton Companies
Susanne Lyons (USOPC Designee), Chairman, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Crystal Maggelet (Governor Designee), CEO, FJ Management, Inc
Al Mansell, Former President, Utah State Senate
Steve Miller, Vice Chairman, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
Wayne Niederhauser (Utah State Senate Designee), Former President, Utah State Senate Designee
Peter Mouskondis, President and CEO, Nicholas & Company
Catherine Raney Norman (Olympian), Past Member, USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council
Abby Osbourne (Speaker of the House Designee), Chief of Staff for Speaker of the House, Utah House of Representatives
Steve Price, President and CEO, Price Real Estate
Jim Sorenson, Jr., Vice Chairman, Sorenson Development
Chris Waddell (Paralympian), One Revolution Foundation
Jenny Wilson, Mayor, Salt Lake County
Additional Board Members
Scott Anderson, President & CEO, Zions Bank
Jeremy Andrus, CEO, Traeger Grills
Shannon Bahrke (Olympian)
Mike Bailey, Shareholder & Attorney, Parsons Behle & Latimer
Ron Bigelow, Mayor, West Valley City
Kym Buttschardt, Roosters Brewing Company and Restaurant
Mike Caldwell, Mayor, Ogden City
Rob Cohen, Chairman and CEO, The IMA Financial Group/Board Member, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation
Dick Ebersol, Former Chairman, NBC Sports
Lisa Eccles, President and COO, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation
Tony Finau, PGA TOUR, USA Ryder Cup and USA Presidents Cup
Christian Gardner, CEO, Gardner Company
Kevin Gates, Owner, La Caille
Natalie Gochnour, Director, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
Marc Harrison, President and CEO, Intermountain Healthcare
Eric Heiden, MD (Olympian), Heiden Orthopedic Group
Brett Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer, Ken Garff Automotive Group/Former CFO, Salt Lake Olympic Committee
Ron Jibson, Former President and CEO, Questar Corp.
Mayor, City of Provo
Becky Kearns, Community Development Consultant, Zions Bank Corporation
Michael Lynch, 3 Emerald Marketing
Derek Miller, President and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber
Apolo Ohno (Olympian)
Derek Parra (Olympian), Sport Director, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
Noelle Pikus Pace (Olympian), Get My Goal Consulting
Nathan Rafferty, President and CEO, Ski Utah
Davis Smith, President and CEO, Cotopaxi
Ryan Smith, CEO, Qualtrics
Chris Sullivan, Vice President, Bids and Protocol, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Ruth Watkins, President, University of Utah
Chris Wharton, Chair, Salt Lake City Council
Bob Wheaton, Former President and COO, Deer Valley Resort
