SALT LAKE CITY — State representatives affirmed their support for the prospect of Utah signing an agreement to host future Olympic and Paralympic games.
SCR9 found widespread support in both legislative bodies. It soared through the Senate unanimously last week before Wednesday’s unanimous House vote. It will now go before the governor for his signature or veto.
“One of the highlights of my life here in Utah was attending the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We all know what a tremendous success those games ended up being,” said House sponsor Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy. “We have the opportunity to potentially host the Winter Games in the future.”
The resolution says that the Legislature and state of Utah are comfortable with the concepts and principles in the latest winter host agreements provided by the International Olympic Committee and support the prospect of Utah signing a similar agreement.
It also expresses the value of Salt Lake City hosting the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and praises the “long-term importance” of the Olympic legacy in Utah.
Eliason said the resolution will “actively be used” by state leaders working on the initiative to let the International Olympic Committee and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee know Utah is serious about hosting a future Winter Games.
“We continue to rise in the international winter sports scene and we are an obvious choice for the world for an upcoming Games,” Eliason said.
Utah leaders took a step toward bringing the Olympics back to Salt Lake City in February when Gov. Gary Herbert and Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced the formation of a committee that will start preparing for a future Olympic bid.
Toward the end of his remarks, Eliason recalled an experience he had back during the 2002 Games in which two young men came to stay with one of his family members because they wanted to be in the state for the Olympics even if their family couldn’t afford to attend.
Eliason had a few extra tickets on hand to take the boys to an event, but on the evening of going their mother passed away, but not before she sent a message urging her boys to still gos.
“We took those two young men to that Olympic event and helped fulfill the wish of their mother,” Eliason said. “This will help facilitate the return of the Games and the creation of thousands — millions of more memories for people around the globe.