Salt Lake City Chosen Over Denver To Bid For Winter Olympics

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS4/AP) -- Salt Lake City chosen to bid for Winter Olympics, likely for 2030. The U.S. Olympic Committee visited Denver last month. A group of nearly 30 business leaders in Colorado had formed an exploratory committee to see if Denver should host the games.

Salt Lake City was considered Denver's only competition in the bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics.

"We know we're an Olympic city and state! Colorado hosts world-class games every winter and our offer stands to some day share our venues with the rest of the world," said Gov. John Hickenlooper in a statement.

"I'd like to thank Denver and Salt Lake City, and their respective leadership teams, for participating in this process and their commitment to make the Olympic and Paralympic movements stronger," said USOC Chair Larry Probst in a statement. "We're incredibly lucky to have multiple able and willing cities to choose from, but in the end, we believe Salt Lake City will give us the best chance to return the winter Games to the U.S."

Utah, which held the Winter Olympics in 2002, is eager to welcome the world again.

"We are truly humbled and honored to be the USOC's choice to bid for a future Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, in a statement. "We take our role as a member of the Olympic family seriously and look forward to showing the international community how Salt Lake City is ready, willing, and able to host a modern, sustainable, and athlete focused Games which further the spirit of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic movements."

The head of its sports commission says Salt Lake has a great airport, light rail and facilities to host the games.

It's almost a certain bet the bid will be for 2030, though the USOC left open the possibility of 2026, which only has two bidders -- from Sweden and Italy -- after voters in Calgary, Alberta, rejected a proposed bid.

John Hickenlooper
Denver