The deadline to bid on hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics is March 31. So Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has formed a panel of civic leaders to determine if we should toss our name in the ring.
Would hosting the Winter Olympics be good for Colorado? Do we have what it takes and -- if we don't -- can we get what it takes in time for the 2026 games? And would the community support the effort to make it happen? These are all questions that Mayor Michael Hancock hopes to answer with the exploratory panel of civic leaders he's gathered from around the state. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="29367,29366"] Headed up by newly appointed chair Rob Cohen, the chairman and CEO of The IMA Financial Group, the 36-member committee is made up of executives and experts from around Colorado, including representatives from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Vail resorts, as well as Governor John Hickenlooper, Mayor Hancock himself, and -- reportedly -- Peyton Manning. The panel will thoroughly explore what hosting the Olympics would take -- even down to the possibility and need for expanding I-70 into three lanes heading in and out of the mountains. They'll then make their recommendation to Hancock and Hickenlooper in time for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to submit their city bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on March 31. The IOC won't vote and announce the selected city until September 2019. A Winter Olympics hasn't been held in the U.S. since 2002, when Salt Lake City played host. [caption id="attachment_29369" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Courtesy of Vail Daily[/caption]
Denver actually has a storied past with Olympic hosting bids, however. We won the bid for the 1976 winter games but had to pull out after the community -- very much against the growth of the city (sound familiar?) -- voted down a measure to finance the games in 1972. The 1976 Winter Olympics went to Austria instead, and as we all know, the feared growth happened to Colorado anyway. This time, the bid differs in that the committee will also be looking into potential ways to privately finance the games, instead of relying on tax dollars.
The other U.S. cities said to be exploring a bid to host in 2026 are Salt Lake City and Reno-Tahoe. And international contenders potentially include Sion, Switzerland; Calgary, Canada; and Sapporo, Japan.
Hosting the Olympics is, of course, a great honor, and many times serves as an inspiration to the host country's young athletes.
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“Having an Olympics on home soil really does something to the next generation that watches it,” 2002 Olympic champion halfpipe snowboarder Kelly Clark said. “It becomes possible… I know you can watch it from afar, but when it’s in your home country, it breaks down an invisible barrier and really inspires the new generation like no Olympics on foreign soil can.”
Who knows what kind of young American athletes are taking ski lessons in Steamboat or working on ice skating skills in Westminster right now in hopes of fulfilling an Olympic dream eight years from now? In fact, 19 of the 230 athletes that represented the U.S. at the 2014 games in Sochi were from Colorado; only California had more, with 20. How cool would it be for our Colorado kids to compete on such an incredible and historic stage -- at home?
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The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Courtesy of U.S. News Travel[/caption]
In addition, one of three U.S. Olympic Training Centers in the nation is located in Colorado Springs, and many Olympic hopefuls train there year-round. So winning the bid would be like literally winning home turf.
In the meantime, it's up to the committee to explore every angle and figure out the feasibility.
“Colorado is a true leader in the outdoor recreation industry. Our state would be an ideal location for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and I look forward to hearing more about that possibility from the exploratory committee," Hickenlooper said. "An event of this magnitude requires that communities come together to collaborate. That’s our sweet spot in the Centennial State. As the home and training ground to some of the world’s top winter Olympians, hosting the games would be a fitting tribute to their dedication.”
What do you think? Do you think Denver should host the 2026 Winter Olympics? Please weigh in below, and give us your opinion!
