Salt Lake City Committee for the Games President and CEO Fraser Bullock said Tuesday’s virtual meeting with the IOC Future Host Commission lasted almost an hour.
“From our perspective, it couldn’t have gone any better,” Bullock said. “It was fabulous, a great interaction with them. We had the opportunity to discuss our strengths, including the infrastructure we have in place, all the venues, our public and political support, and the opportunity to do something really special if we’re chosen to host the Games.”
Due to IOC rules, Bullock said he can’t comment on what the Future Host Commission had to say.
Presenting alongside Bullock were Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, and Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn.
“We asked Lindsey what was the number one thing that she would like to see,” Bullock said. “She said, ‘Let’s take care of the athletes’ families.’ So she is leading our athletes’ families initiative, to make sure they have access to great accommodations when they’re here, ticketing, and transportation, so they can get to where they can see their family members competing.”
The Future Host Commission will now put together its research on all the candidate host cities for 2030 and 2034, and present that to the IOC Executive Board Nov. 29.
From there, the IOC Executive Board will vote on the recommendations, deciding which hosts can enter a process called targeted dialogue.
“Which is a very, very key step towards the Games award,” Bullock said. “The Games award ultimately would happen in the first half of next year, after they’ve had the chance to review all of our bid documents and everything else. So we are well on our way, but next Wednesday will be pivotal to our direction.”
The IOC plans to announce hosts for both the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics next summer.
“They don’t have to do that,” Bullock said. “Given that we’re focused on 2034, that momentum towards the dual award is essential. So we’re hoping that that’s what we will see come out of their decision next week.”
Utah’s Winter Olympic bid is the only one recognized by the IOC for 2034. France, Sweden, and Switzerland are aiming to host in 2030.
Bullock said venue use agreements to host Olympic events at Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort are nearly finished.
