The adventure begins. Utah Governor Spencer Cox and US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) CEO Sarah Hirshland announced the composition of the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on Friday, February 14. As expected, Fraser Bullock will lead the organization. With nine years ahead of her, the team can begin work with a certain serenity. "A perfect situation" said Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Games at the IOC. The body, forced to deal with the multiple zigzags of the French Alps 2030, will not complain.
Made in Utah
The Salt Lake City bidders based their project on the reuse of the 2002 Games sites. They applied the same principle when appointing the president of the OCOG, Fraser Bullock, who was the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the 2002 Games. In his close guard, businessman Brad Wilson, a former member of the Utah House of Representatives. He will serve as executive director and vice chairman of the board of directors. Steve Starks, another local business leader and former president of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise, will also serve as vice chairman of the board. Three men with deep roots in the state, as a guarantee of the legacy that these Olympic and Paralympic Games will leave. “Strong leadership is essential to a successful 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and a lasting legacy for Utah", Governor Spencer Cox said, pointing to the "great Olympic experience" by Fraser Bullock, the "talented leader" what is Brad Wilson and the “extensive experience in business, sports and entertainment” by Steve Starks.
The executive committee is made up of six people: Bullock and Starks, unsurprisingly, but also Sarah Hirshland and Gene Sykes, the president of the USOPC, as well as two athletes, Chris Kinney, a member of the American bobsled team at the 2018 Games, and alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist. Twenty-five personalities will also sit on the board of directors, including five Olympic athletes (Allyson Felix, Anita DeFrantz, Chris Kinney, Lindsey Vonn, Sarah Hughes) and three Paralympic athletes (Oksana Masters, Manny Guerra, Muffy Davis). Enough to ensure that the athletes' point of view will be taken into account. Note that the athletes' commission will be headed by Catherine Raney-Norman, a skater who has participated in the Games four times.
Flying taxis, safety and communities
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland was enthusiastic at the ceremony: “The Organizing Committee will bring its expertise, experience and passion to the 2034 Winter Games in Utah, building on the powerful legacy of the 2002 Games and ensuring that the 2034 Games continue that legacy for future generations. We are embarking on a remarkable decade for sport in the United States.” With competition venues already in place, the OCOG will be able to focus its efforts on other issues. Governor Spencer Cox has announced that ensuring the safety of the event is already one of his priorities. Senate President Stuart Adams, for his part, praised the opportunity the Games represent for innovation, explaining that he would find "cool " that an air taxi system be set up. Fraser Bullock was less fanciful. “In the lead-up to the 2002 Games, we were building venues. As we approach 2034, our focus will be on communities. We want to make sure the values of sport impact all 29 counties in Utah”, he hammered. The OCOG should therefore multiply initiatives aimed at inspiring youth, spreading Olympic values and developing inclusion in the coming months. Good news for the legacy of these Games, which will have plenty of time to infuse between now and February 10, 2034.
