| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Should we do it again?
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Diane Urbani
Deseret News staff writers
Like hosting the Winter Olympics?
Gov. Mike Leavitt says it "is conceivable that we could do this again." And Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, enthused as ever about a good party, says the Games' success so far bodes well for another go-round.
But it wouldn't be for years, probably for decades.
Still, with the facilities in place, it's possible, Utah's chief executive believes.
"You know, it really is too bad we just couldn't turn around and do this again" in four years, Leavitt said. "We've done it so well. We could do it again even better right away."
Anderson, for his part, says easy travel between Salt Lake City International Airport, downtown and the Olympic venues makes Salt Lake City "the best place" ever to host the world's winter-sports glitterati.
"The transportation system has been almost flawless," Anderson says. "And everyone has responded with great hospitality."
Leavitt said if Salt Lake City were to get the Games again, it wouldn't be because of the facilities — it would be because of the place, its people and proven knowledge.
And finances.
Putting on the Games is big business, and the costs are escalating. All must come together — the finances, the sponsors, the TV audience and so on, said Leavitt, who sits on the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's executive committee and has been a part of the success, so far.
Faced with eager, but inexperienced, cities bidding for future Olympics, it's possible the International Olympic Committee will turn, at some point, to cities that have already hosted successful Games for a second try.
"I think we may see such an opportunity again," Leavitt believes.
The IOC notes that any city, including former hosts, are welcome to bid for the Games again. Three cities have hosted the Winter Games twice: Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964 and 1976, Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980 and St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928 and 1948.
Anderson adds that he doesn't believe the bribery scandal that tainted Salt Lake City's pre-Games years would hurt a future bid. "It would have no impact whatsoever," he says. "The IOC has been making major reforms," while Salt Lake City's connection to the bid scandal has faded.
Anderson and Leavitt have company.
A Deseret News/KSL-TV poll conducted two days before Salt Lake's Games began by Dan Jones & Associates found 63 percent of residents statewide definitely or probably favored the city taking on the Olympics again, should opportunity arise. Only 33 percent definitely or probably opposed a repeat.
But for now, the state won't be looking for another Winter Games. Instead it will focus on selling Utah as a host to "a wide variety" of national and international winter sporting events.
The success of the Olympics will be key for getting those international events. And key to the Olympics' success has been the enthusiasm of Utah crowds and the luck of geography — Utah is in a good time zone for television.
Last year the state put $1 million into the Utah Sports Commission. A nonprofit entity that will attempt to bring international events to Utah's existing Olympic venues. SLOC's budget calls for an additional $40 million to go to the Utah Athletic Foundation, which will keep facilities like the ski jumps and bobsled/luge/skeleton track running and maintained.
"We'll add national and international winter sports to our economic ecosystems," Leavitt said, referring to his 1,000-day development plans to sell Utah to the nation and world.
"We've shown we can organize winter events at a world class level," Leavitt said. "We've shown we have world-class facilities."
Contributing: Brady Snyder
E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com; durbani@desnews.com
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February 18, 2002
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